


Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

by GavinRiley



Category: The Umbrella Academy (Comics), The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Dealing With Loss, Eudora Patch Lives, Eudora lives and we'll talk about that later, Everyone blames themselves, Gen, Ghost Ben Hargreeves, Grief, Grieving, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Klaus Hargreeves-centric, Klaus gets really hurt guys, Luther tries, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Diego Hargreeves, Protective Number Five | The Boy, Tags May Change, Temporary Character Death, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:20:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26425549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GavinRiley/pseuds/GavinRiley
Summary: Eudora paused to take a breath, clearly readying herself. Everyone in the room tensed, strung like a bow for the news they all saw coming but not this soon."Your brother Klaus was found earlier this morning. He was dead before paramedics arrived. He couldn't be revived."Or: The apocalypse is averted, the gang DOESN'T go back in time, and Klaus dies... But only long enough to hurt.Very self-indulgent stuff.**********Read tags. Please be mindful of the warnings!☆Updates every other Sunday☆
Relationships: past Diego Hargreeves/Eudora Patch - Relationship
Comments: 86
Kudos: 657





	1. 0. The Fool

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing in years!
> 
> Yesterday at work, this idea popped into my head and I spent a good two hours thinking it over just to coming home and push out this first chapter. There is so much more I need to cover, so second chapter to come!
> 
> At this point in time, the Hargreeves don't know about Klaus' immortality, but Klaus does from his time in the club with Luther. Each character will get a chance to grieve to some extent, and Klaus will have to deal with a lot, so if you're expecting a 'well that was weird but lets move on' story, this isn't it.
> 
> For once, the Hargreeves kids will have to spend more than half a braincell paying attention to Klaus.

Diego always knew that one day he'd get the call. He didn't know when or how far in the future, but he knew it would come. What he didn't expect was the phone to ring on a random Tuesday, Al calling him to come get the phone since his 'lady cop' friend was calling. Looking back at it now, Diego should have felt put off by the call. Found it odd or at least a little unsettling. He would be fooling himself if he ever thought Eudora would be calling to 'catch up' and she wasn't the type to randomly talk about a case unless she was hopelessly stuck and needed an outside perspective. Regardless, when Diego picked up the phone, it was with a playful smirk and a flirty, "Eudora, if you wanted to see me, you could have just asked."

The flirtation quickly drowned out to concern when only silence met him. No heavy, disapproving sigh or 'It's Detective Patch' from the other line. None of the usual rebuffs Eudora swung back at him like a game of tennis. Instead, Diego stood straighter when Detective Patch's voice came over the line, soft like when he heard her speak to traumatized victims. "Diego, can you please come down to the station? We're getting into contact with all of the Hargreeves, so if there is anyone with you, can you bring them as well?"

Diego felt a weight press against his chest, tension slowly winding tight in his gut and around his lungs. "Patch," he started, "What's going on? What happened?"

"Diego, please, I need to talk to you all in person. Will you be able to make it here soon?"

"I-I... Yeah. Fifteen minutes. I'll be there soon." Diego held off his stream of questions as he said his goodbye to Eudora and hung up. Grabbing his keys, Diego shouted a quick goodbye to Al as he left, obeying only half of the traffic laws as he rushed to the station. The tension in his chest only grew harsher as he drove, his mind racing on what could have happened and dreading every single possible one.

Arriving at the station in record time, Number 2 could see their dad's car parked across the lot- probably driven over by Luther or Five- and as Diego got out of his car, he could see Vanya coming around the side of the station. She most likely walked here from somewhere nearby. Her expression and posture looked as nervous as Diego felt and Number 2 sped up to meet her at the door. For a moment, she looked relieved to see him, the two sharing a quick, tight hug before going into the station together, the nervous expression falling back over his sister's face.

"Diego. Vanya." The two turned in the direction of the voice calling their names to see Detective Patch standing off to the side. Luther, Allison, and Five all stood nearby and clearly had been waiting for them to arrive. As they approached, Eudora gave a small smile before she stood up straighter, signaling with a hand for them to follow her. "Let's talk somewhere more private."

Quietly, the group followed, not missing the fact that they weren't told to wait for Klaus. Diego swallowed thickly at this realization, the thought 'this was always bound to happen' flashing through his head before being quickly shaken out. Maybe Eudora couldn't get a hold of him. Or he had gotten arrested and they were all just called to hear what happened. Klaus lived a high risk life, so he was bound to get in trouble. He  _ had _ been in trouble before. This would be the same. Klaus was just locked in the temporary holding cells at the back of the station and he would get a charge, a court date, pay a bail, and he would come back home with them. He would be fine and  _ with _ them.

As they all stepped into a room that Diego had seen many times before for interrogations, it was with an air of hesitation, confusion, and concern. The door shut behind Eudora, her posture straight and expression neutral as she gave them all a moment to settle. Luther and Allison stood off to the left of the detective. Five leaning against the table's edge with his hands shoved into his pockets and legs crossed at the ankles, looking relaxed but any of the Hargreeves children would recognize the clench of his jaw. The nervous scanning of the room and the people in it. Vanya stood just a few steps away from Five, fiddling with the edge of her long sleeves and Diego stood closest to Eudora off to her right, eyes never leaving her face as he waited.

Tentatively, Eudora began speaking. "My name is Detective Eudora Patch." She slowly met every eye in the room, pausing a moment longer when she met Diego's eyes. "I know this is very confusing, but I thought it would be best to tell you all together." Eudora paused to take a breath, clearly readying herself to continue. Allison instinctively grabbed hold of Luther's arm in anticipation as the other Hargreeves tensed, strung like a bow for the news they all saw coming but not this soon. "Your brother Klaus was found earlier this morning. He died before paramedics arrived. He couldn't be revived."

The news settled like a wave through the room. Allison wobbled in her spot with a hand over her mouth and Luther's hold being the only thing keeping her standing. Vanya let out a choked sob, curling in on herself and covering her face with her hands. Five shifted to turn his face away from the majority of the group. Though he couldn't see his expression, Diego knew Five was trying to seem composed as Vanya began to audibly sob beside him. For his part, Number 2 was stunned into silence, unsure if he wanted to cry, curse, laugh, or punch a wall. He knew this would happen. Klaus just lived dangerously. He was bound to be the next to die. But... But not yet. Not this young. Not when they had just saved the goddamn world and fixed their family…

Swallowing the forming lump in his throat, Diego tried, "H-h-h.... What h-happened...?"

Looking to him with caring eyes, Eudora cleared her throat to speak. "We got a call earlier about someone finding a body in an alleyway. He... He had been there since early this morning. We believe he was attacked and, while no one is in custody yet, we are currently looking into any leads and trying to find the culprit behind this." She gives the information a moment to sink in before adding, "We'll need to confirm his identity in the morgue, but not everyone needs to come. You can... Take a moment. I'll be right outside the door when those willing to go are ready."

With a few weak nods to Eudora in acknowledgement, the woman left the family to their grief. Allison sank down into one of the open chairs to keep from collapsing as Five finally turned to comfort Vanya, gently coaxing her into another seat as she sobbed. She was always the most sensitive of them… The most grounded and human. It hurt to hear her cry. To know exactly what broke her heart. To know Klaus... Their brother, with all his quirks and jokes and annoying habits, was gone. It didn't feel real, Diego numb to the news despite feeling deep in his gut a dark sort of churning.

Once again trying to swallow that lump in his throat that refused to dislodge, he glanced at Luther who was bent over Allison slightly, gently rubbing her arms and speaking softly to comfort her. Five, now seated in the last chair beside Vanya, didn't speak as he held their sister to him, her face pressed into his shoulder as she wept. The corners of his eyes looked damp yet no tears clouded Five's vision. Diego, left with no one to comfort and not knowing what to do with himself, quietly left the room to stand with Eudora in the hallway. The detective watched as Diego quietly closed the door, leaving his family to grieve as he stepped to lean against the wall opposite of Patch, arms crossed tight and protectively against his chest. He didn't look at her directly, but he could see her head tilt to better look at him. To gauge how he was fairing.

"Diego-" she started but was quickly cut off by Diego's question.

"What do you know?" Straight forward. Plain. His voice held steady even if Number 2 himself felt very much like he was teetering on shaking ground.

Eudora seemed taken aback for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Diego, you can't get involved in this one. This is your brother and-"

"Exactly, Eudora. This is my brother. _Our_ brother. Klaus... I n-need to know what happened. I-I-I... He said he was clean. He shouldn't have been out there in danger. I need to know what happened. Why did this happen...?" Diego finally looked up to meet Detective Patch's eyes.

For a moment, the woman studied him before eventually closing her eyes with a sigh and leaning her head back. There was nothing keeping her from at least telling him what they believe had transpired between his brother and his attacker, even if she couldn't tell him every piece of evidence. "Fine... We don't know for sure yet. We're still asking residents and collecting video from nearby businesses to see if they caught anything, but... From what the forensics picked up at the scene, Klaus had been attacked early this morning, possibly around 4 or 5 AM. He had been hit several times and, at some point, got close enough to his attacker to scratch them. We found someone else's blood under his fingernails."

Eudora glanced to Diego's hands as his grip hardened against his own arm, the man's mind clearly picturing what kind of pain their brother had gone through in his last moments. What he had to experience and fight through. "We think the assailant was an old associate of Klaus'. At least, he was familiar enough to let this person close to him before he had been attacked-"

She was cut off once more by Diego speaking up, "Klaus was friendly. A good man. He never stopped strangers from getting close to him before."

Eudora paused to think that over, giving a nod in understanding before adding hesitantly, "We... Have other information to believe this person may have known or at least seen Klaus prior… This attack seemed very planned. Thought through and efficient. Either this assailant planned very well to attack Klaus or they have done this before. When Klaus scratched them, we believe..."

She paused, seeming to think over if this was information she should share. It wasn't easy news to take in, but after a second, she decided it was knowledge that was best told by her instead of the family finding out over the TV or a newspaper later on. "We believe the assailant had been trying to subdue him. They had tried to stop him from fighting back, hitting him and then getting on top of him to pin him down. Klaus must have fought hard judging by the bruising but.... Diego... I'm very sorry... Klaus had been raped by his attacker. We were able to collect some samples along with the blood, all which are being tested as we speak."

In front of her, Eudora saw Diego's face drop. Not even his jaw was tense anymore, everything going slack at this new development. When he didn't say or do anything further, the detective cautiously kept speaking, "Klaus had suffered a great deal of trauma to his skull and chest, and we believe by the end of his assault he most likely was in and out of consciousness. Forensics believe it took another hour for him to pass, and another half hour until he was found..." Reaching out cautiously, Eudora placed a hand onto Diego's arm, barely getting a twitch out of him but at least his eyes gained a bit more focus on her. "He didn't go down without a fight, Diego. At least know that. And thanks to him, we have hard evidence that will get this asshole locked away for a very long time. Just... Please. Grieve with your family. Be there for them, and let us do our job."

The hallway fell quiet for a long moment as the two stared at each other- Diego slowly coming back to himself as Eudora watched him with a soft and caring look. Opening his mouth to say something, Diego didn't get the chance to speak before the door leading to the interrogation room quietly creaked open, Luther stepping out into the hallway and closing the door behind him with a sigh. To Diego, he looked the most held together. Luther and Klaus never had a close relationship. It wasn't surprising seeing how Luther disagreed the most with Klaus's life choices, but they had been working on their friendship lately. With Klaus' newfound sobriety came more understanding. More chances for Luther and him to talk. To at least become friendly. They weren't close by any means, but Diego had witnessed some genuine care between his brothers the last few times he had seen them interact.

Now, he supposed, it didn't matter. Klaus was gone and here Luther was with barely a tear to his eyes. For a moment, Diego wanted to lash out. Yell at him to at least  _ look  _ upset. It would be unfair to react that way though. Luther was always their leader. Always tried to keep it together for his family. He wasn't collected because he didn't care about Klaus. He was keeping it together because he knew his  _ family  _ needed him to. At least, that's what Diego hoped was happening here...

"The others don't want to go to the morgue. They... Don't want to see him this way," Luther explained, looking between Detective Patch and Diego. There was a slight tension between his eyebrows and Number 2 had seen enough of Luther's sad and lost puppy face to know that the taller must be really holding back to try and keep his expression as neutral as possible. "I'll go identify his body."

Between them, Eudora turned with a nod just as Diego blurted out, "I'm going, too. I need to see him."

Luther and Detective Patch both looked over at him at the same time, slightly surprised by his rushed words before the detective gave him a gentle smile. "Okay. Please, follow me. We'll return to your family once you've identified your brother." With that, Diego and Luther followed behind Patch as she led them down the hall and through the precinct to the morgue. It was strange walking beside Number 1 like this. With a sense of dread in his stomach and an aching pain in Diego's chest. To be right beside his brother yet feel very far away, like a dream where they were just going through the motions. From one step to the next.

As the three went through the morgue doors, they were greeted by the sight of multiple sealed body freezers and- off to one corner of the room- a large desk with a man standing facing it and writing. Behind the pathologist was a table. A body clearly laid beneath a white sheet to preserve some sense of privacy. Whether that was for Klaus or the Hargreaves family, it was unclear.

As they entered the room, the pathologist looked over with a polite smile, turning to greet them properly. He said a few words that, honestly, Diego wasn't listening to as he stared down at the covered face of the person on the table, barely hearing Luther's own response back to the man. The sheet covered most of the body hidden below it except for a small part where the cloth had been rolled up to make it easier to grab and pull away from the face. With the sheet rolled like that, Diego could see a few dark curls peaking out. A stark contrast to the white and stainless steel that surrounded it. Diego stared at those curls until gloved hands entered his view and reached for the edge of the sheet, snapping Diego's focus back onto the task at hand. The morgue air was chilly and stale around them, the room quiet other than the noise it's four occupants made.

Klaus would absolutely hate it here. No doubt this place was riddled with ghosts just waiting to be heard. Maybe... Maybe Klaus was one of them right now, watching his family as the pathologist pulled back the sheet to reveal his face. Trying to reach out and speak to them. Tell them he's okay, or scared, or... Just, there. Tell them that he's there, watching them as they both look over his pale, slack face. Taking in the bruises and cuts along his face and neck, blood just visible drying in his hair, matting and caking up his curls. If it wasn't for the bruises and blood, Diego would have thought he was sleeping. Though, even he couldn't fool himself into thinking that. Not with his brother laid out naked on a cold metal table in front of him, protected by only a sheet of white linen. Klaus would have much rather preferred a pink sheet, no doubt.

"Is this your brother?" Detective Patch's voice broke through Diego's train of thought, slowly breaking the man from his staring.

Beside him, Luther nodded, seeming to take a lot of effort to pull his gaze from Klaus to the pathologist and Eudora. "Yes. That's our brother. That's Klaus..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Drop a comment if you've made it to the end. Have questions or corrections? Feel free to tell me!
> 
> Want to see something specific happen? Leave a suggestion and I'll see what I can do. This story is a passion project, so don't be afraid to interact.


	2. I. The Magician

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How are you holding up, Alli?" Diego asked in a soft tone, feeling like anything louder would break the moment between them.
> 
> Allison gave a half-hearted laugh in response, the noise choked off at the end. More for show than anything else.
> 
> "As well as the rest of you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know my first chapter has only been up for a day, but I wanted to thank you all so much for the kind comments and support! Seeing you all so excited really fueled my passion for this story and I wanted to get the second chapter out to you as soon as I could as a thank you.
> 
> My chapters aren't long compared to some writers, but I don't plan to rush this story, so hopefully the content is enough to hold you over.

It was practically a wordless agreement that everyone would meet back at the Umbrella Academy after they left the police station. No one really said it out loud, but as they left the building together, they all found themselves clambering into their cars and heading in the same direction. Five, Allison and Luther had gotten back into Dad's car, Luther squeezed behind the wheel as he pulled out and onto the street. Vanya, eyes red and puffy from crying, had silently followed Diego to his car and slid into the passenger seat as he started the engine. She didn't even need to ask for a ride just like they didn't need to agree to meet back at the Academy. None of them could imagine being anywhere else after the news of today.

By the time Diego was pulling up into the alleyway beside the house, Luther and Five had gone inside the building, leaving only Allison waiting outside leaned up against their father's car. Her smile was frail as Diego and Vanya stepped out of the car. Almost immediately, the sisters were in each other's arms for a tight hug. Number 7's head was buried against Allison's chest as the taller woman held her little sister close, her own cheek pressed into the top of Vanya's hair. The same kind of hug Allison had probably held her own daughter in a million times before. A hug that meant Number 3 had her. That it was okay and she-  _ they _ would be okay.

From this angle, Diego could see Allison's face, her eyes shut and a loving smile hinting at the corners of her lips. Her eyelashes were wet with fresh unshed tears and the tip of her nose held a bit of redness from sniffling. In moments like these, Diego was always hit with the realization that his sister was, in fact, a big star. Even now she looked camera ready and strong. Put together despite all of their worlds crashing down around them. Then again, Diego didn't know of a single Hargreeves child that wasn't strong in one way or another.

Slowly, the sisters broke apart and looked at each other with wet smiles before turning to Diego as he finally bridged the space between him and them. With a gentle hand, the man reached out to rub along Allison's arm in a comforting gesture.

"How are you holding up, Alli?" He asked in a soft tone, feeling like anything louder would break the moment between them. That- if he spoke even a decibel higher- the news of Klaus' death would crash over them again and send them reeling. Quietness meant peace.

Allison gave a half-hearted laugh in response, her own hand finding his on her arm and giving Diego's fingers a squeeze. Her laugh was choked off at the end, more for show than anything else. "As well as the rest of you… How are you doing though, Diego? You disappeared right after the news."

"Yeah…" Number 2 drew out the word with a sigh as he slowly pulled his hand from his sister's, starting to walk with them to the door. "I went to talk to Detective Patch. I… I needed to know what happened to Klaus."

"Diego," Allison started, her voice tired and laced with a disappointment that was reserved solely for when her siblings were up to their usual antics. Like she already knew where this was going and already disapproved of the idea.

Almost offended by her tone and immediate disapproval, Diego scoffed at her as he held the door open so his sisters could step through first with him following close behind. "Don't 'Diego' me. I'm not trying to pull some vigilante 'only I can avenge my brother' crap, okay?" At Allison's rather unconvinced glance, Diego quickly jumped to explain himself, the three stopping just inside the doorway as Vanya and Allison turned back to watch him. "Look, I trust Detective Patch. If she says they have enough evidence to catch the bastard that kil-"

Number 2's voice faltered over the word, unable to bring himself to say it. To admit that fact about their brother's death. He tried again, "That did this to Klaus, then I believe her. I didn't need to know what happened to him out of some need to solve his case myself. I just needed to know what he went through. If he… Suffered."

That last word came out as if the man physically had to force himself to say it. Like he was admitting to some great taboo that no one but himself should have to know about. His words only brought a sad look to his sisters' faces. It was bad enough knowing that your brother was murdered. It was worse to fathom that his death was anything but swift and painless.

"Did he suffer?" Vanya asked hesitantly, voice weak. She was scared. Both her and Allison were scared of what the answer would be. To face any answer other than the one they hoped for. They feared what Klaus had gone through, all alone with none of his superhero siblings around to save him. No one to strong-arm or Rumor or swiftly punch or blast his attacker off of him. Just a skinny ex-junkie by himself in an alleyway fighting for his life in hopes that maybe someone would find him before it was too late. Going in and out of consciousness in the darkness of a disgusting walkway until, finally, he didn't wake back up.

Diego met Vanya's eyes for a long second before looking away sadly, nodding. They were all bound to find out eventually how exactly their brother died anyway. The least Diego could do was give them the courtesy that Detective Patch had shown him and tell them the truth. By the hitch in Vanya's breath and the way Allison's eyes squeezed shut after his nod, the news was no easier for them than it had been for him to take in.

_ This  _ was why he couldn't seek revenge for his brother. Despite Eudora and Allison's expectations of him just running off to track down anyone who wronged him or his family, Diego knew what he needed to do. Revenge meant obsession. It meant spending every waking moment gathering evidence and clues and following lead after lead until he found the culprit. It meant leaving his family to mourn without him. That even if he found Klaus' killer, it wouldn't bring his brother back. Wouldn't fill the halls of the Academy with his laughter and stupid jokes and antics again. It would only pull Diego away from his family when they need each other the most.

Diego had gotten obsessed with revenge once before. When he found Eudora barely alive on the floor of a dingy motel room, bleeding out from a gunshot. No one knew if she would survive the night. As Patch got a bullet pulled out of her back, Diego was on a manhunt for the psychos who shot her; Hazel and Cha-Cha. He had come close to it, too. At least, he thought so when he saw the man- Hazel- standing in their living room and attacked him in a blind fury. Sure, Five knocked him unconscious before he finished the job, but Hazel had at least done one thing right. He handed over both their weapons. One of which was the one that shot Eudora, complete with fingerprints.

Diego never saw Hazel nor Cha-Cha after that. The guns were handed in for evidence, and Diego had gotten word that Patch was out of surgery and in recovery. She wouldn't be awake for a while, but she would survive. She was still alive, even if she would need months to get back to normal life. After that, Diego had gotten swept up in being a hero and saving the world. Or, well, sort of.

In the end, it was both Vanya that was the weapon and the hero. His sister didn't like to talk about it much, but over the past months, the Hargreeves were able to link together a vague story.

When Vanya showed up at the Umbrella Academy shaking and clutching a book with the initials 'RH' on it, hysterical and begging for forgiveness, the family pieced together some of the frantic story. The most shocking part of it all was that Vanya- sweet quiet little Number 7- had powers. Pretty amazing and dangerous powers as it seemed. She had been training with Leonard- or rather Harold- to hone her control over them, unaware of what bigger plans had surrounded her the whole time. While her family tried to find her and warn her about this man she thought she knew, Vanya herself made her own discovery in the form of a hidden journal.

Their dad's old records. Perfect recordings of their powers. Of ALL of the Hargreeves' powers, Number 7 included. From the vague information they could get out of Vanya after that, it was clear that  _ something _ had happened between Harold and her after that. Something that left Vanya begging to be forgiven and helped. In the end, the Hargreeves family were always going to be there to pick up the shattered parts of their sister and piece her back together again.

They didn't come this far together to fall apart just for some revenge, no matter how much Diego yearned for it. This time, Diego would make it a point to focus on his family. To go through the grieving process with them. This was different from when Reginald died. Most of them- besides Luther and Pogo- felt indifferent or at least numb about their father's death. This time, though… This was Klaus. Their brother. Someone Diego would have torn down the city for if it meant protecting him. But Diego hadn't protected him. Hadn't saved him when he needed protection the most. In a way, they all had failed Klaus, and that sat heavy on Diego's chest.

Some heros they turned out to be. At the very least, they could be there for each other. Better late than never.

* * *

That night had been the hardest for the remaining five siblings.

For most of the day, they all went about their business in almost a numb normalcy. Vanya had made calls to cancel and reschedule her violin lessons for the next week. Allison had to speak with her agent and relay the news of her brother's passing, taking time off to mourn. Five seemed to have disappeared, hiding away in his room and not answering to anyone who knocked since the moment they got home from the precinct. Whatever he was going through, he wasn't allowing any of his family close enough to help. Luther wandered around the Academy most of the day, looking lost as he attempted to find things to do by either helping out Pogo or Mom. And Diego-

Well, Diego was keeping busy. For once, he found being around Mom too off putting. She smiled too often. Seemed too cheerful for a woman who had just lost her child. Some moments, Diego felt like he would see a few seconds where the smile would fade and she would seem real. She would look out a window and her eyes would become distant, her smile slipping until it was barely a ghost across her lips. In those moments, Diego wanted to comfort her. Assure her Klaus was in a better place. Or at least he hoped so.

But as quickly as the look came, it was gone again and the woman was off to tidy another room or dust another shelf. Though, Diego didn't miss the fact that Mom didn't even attempt to open Klaus' closed bedroom door. No one touched it, just like how no one touched Ben's room either after his death. Disturbing the rooms just felt disrespectful to their brothers. An invasion of privacy that none of the Hargreeves had cared about prior. So the rooms were left untouched.

By the time night had fallen, all of the remaining Hargreeves had found themselves slowly convening in the living room together, wordlessly grabbing drinks and snacks as they took their seats around the room. Even Five had come to join them and Luther didn't complain when they stole from Dad's liquor stash. Conversation was easy as they all drank and consumed stale chips and popcorn, drifting from one topic to the next. Mostly about Claire, how Vanya's violin lessons were coming along and if anyone thought Pogo also secretly has super powers that none of them know about.

Despite the chatter and laughter, all of the siblings stayed away from one topic in particular, steering the conversation quickly away whenever it seemed Klaus' name was about to be brought up. It was only hours into the conversation, when the sun was deep beyond the horizon and alcohol had loosened them all up that Allison laughed at a sudden memory.

"Oh God. That reminds me of when Klaus stole Dad's car keys to try and take us out for donuts. Wasn't it, like, 2 in the morning?" Beside Number 3, Luther groaned at the memory, causing Vanya to giggle into her champagne flute.

Diego was the one to answer with a laugh of his own. "Holy shit, I almost forgot about that! Yeah. He was so proud of himself. He swears even to this day that if Pogo hadn't caught us, he would have been able to drive us. I could only imagine what kind of accident he would have caused if we had done it."

From the corner of his eye, Diego saw the smile Five tried to hide behind his whiskey glass as he took a sip. Though the man had missed a good amount of their later antics, he had at least been around for the earlier ones. When they were all just kids and didn't yet have the fear of punishment or trauma hindering their creative minds. The others laughed at the memory as they began to come up with possible scenarios that fiasco would have caused, playfully imitating how Reginald would have reacted upon finding out. Luther even lightly joked, not seeming to take offense when his siblings poked fun about their dad.

For a while, that's how the conversation went. Going back and forth sharing stories about Klaus and joking about past events together. By the time the conversation was dwindling down, a few of them even beginning to yawn, Diego hadn't missed the thoughtful expression that had crossed Five's face on and off for the last hour.

Out of all of them, Five had spoken the least. Of course he had been gone for years so it made sense that he wouldn't have as much to share, but even moments where he usually would make a comment or snide remark were left empty. Instead, the man seemed lost in his own head. It wasn't until Luther was about to head off to sleep, announcing that he was getting tired and making a quick comment about needing to be up early to set up arrangements for Klaus' body that Five finally spoke.

Vanya was half out of her seat to follow Luther's lead off the bed when she paused in shock at Five's words. Hell, the whole room seemed to freeze, everyone staring at Five in a mixture of shock and confusion.

Taking one last sip from his whiskey, the elder man set his glass gently against his knee before repeating himself again as if his family hadn't heard him the first time.

"I worked out how we can save Klaus."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo.... How we feeling?
> 
> We start getting an idea on what went differently for this timeline than what happened in canon. Everything will be explored more in depth later on, but for right now you guys get an idea of how Eudora is alive and why Vanya didn't get as far in the timeline as to blow up the Academy.
> 
> If you can't tell, I was pissed that Five went back in time and Vanya didn't get to find Reginald's book. So, for my own sanity, she does find it.
> 
> Also, Five, maybe you shouldn't drop such big news in the middle of your family's grief party, my man.


	3. II. The High Priestess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When no one spoke up to come to Diego's aid, the man let out a bitter, winded laugh. His eyes bouncing wildly between his siblings as a hand came up to run through his hair. "You all actually think this is a good idea."

"What… Did you just say?" Diego breathlessly asked, eyes wide and mouth hung open slightly as he and everyone else in the room stared at their older brother. He felt like all the air had been punched out of his lungs and his body refused to take in a new, much needed gasp.

It was almost comical the way Five rolled his eyes at the question. Like it was his family being ridiculous rather than him being the one saying something completely insane.

"I already repeated myself once. I'm not going to-"

He stopped short though when Allison decided to speak over him, shaking her head in disbelief. "No, Five. That's not what he's asking. How- What do you _mean_ you worked out how to save him?"

"What else do you think I was doing in my room all day?" the shorter asked, looking between his siblings with a raised eyebrow. "I was working on the equation that could send me back to just before Klaus' attack. If Diego can find out from the detective exactly where he was assaulted, I can go back and stop it before it even hap-"

Hands slammed down hard against the coffee table between all of their seats, Vanya flinching at the loud noise it made as Five's mouth snapped shut. He turned narrowed eyes to the culprit of the bang, Diego now standing and palms stinging with how hard he had hit the wood. It was a miracle that nothing had gotten knocked over with how hard he had hit the table even if I few glasses rattled.

Number 2 was absolutely seething at his brother, eyes sharp as he grit out between clenched teeth, "No."

"Diego-" Allison tried, but was quickly shot down with another bark from her brother.

"No! Are you crazy?! We're not doing that! You can't _honestly_ believe this is a good idea," Diego said in disbelief, looking from Five to the rest of his siblings and then back to Five.

For a moment, no one spoke. Vanya looked down at the ground between her feet as Allison and Luther glanced at each other, Allison biting her bottom lip gently. When no one spoke up to come to Diego's aid in this, the man let out a bitter, winded laugh, eyes wildly bouncing between his siblings as a hand came up to run through his hair. "Jesus Christ… Holy shit! You all actually think this is a good idea."

"Diego, we can go back and save Klaus. Stop his attack before he even gets hurt. Why wouldn't we do it?" Luther prompted. He was using his Number 1 voice. The one that said 'I'm the authority here' and that always set Diego's blood on fire. They were acting like Diego was the one being unreasonable here and not just a person in mourning being told the most sudden news having to do with their recently deceased brother.

The knife thrower spun to face the taller man, arms flailing out beside him wide as he spoke loudly, "Oh, _I don't know_. Maybe because every time time travel has been involved before, everything has either gone to shit or not changed at all?"

"That's not true. I was able to get back to 2019 just fine," Five said, voice calm like he was talking to a child rather than his adult brother.

"Oh, yeah," Diego agreed sarcastically. "After you stupidly launched yourself into the apocalyptic future where you lived for over 40 years with a mannequin, joined a secret time traveling agency, spent years with them assassinating children or whatever you did, only to travel back to 2019 and get stuck in your teenage body with only days to spare until the end of the world with no clues to what caused it other than a glass eye that hadn't even been _manufactured_ yet. Did I _miss_ anything there, Number 5?"

Diego bared his teeth at his older sibling, letting out a forced laugh as he continued his tirade, "Or how about when you went through some elaborate scheme to get _back_ into the cult-of-the-time-traveling-assassins to find the identity of whoever was involved in the apocalypse only to get yourself shot and come back with a piece of paper that barely sufficed as a clue? Then you proceeded _not_ to tell us about your gunshot wound and instead sneak police files- which, by the way, was even a gamble if our guy had files on him to begin with, I don't care what you have to say- and then go stake out his house all while you bled out. And in the time we had to rush you back home and patch you up, Vanya was in danger with the exact psychopath we were looking for. If it wasn't for her finding that book and protecting herself, who _knows_ what could have happened. So, no, Five. Excuse me if I don't exactly think your time travel plans are just going to 'work out' as smoothly as you make it seem."

Stood practically panting in the middle of his family, Diego's eyes looked wild like he was in the middle of a physical fight rather than a verbal one. By now, Allison and Vanya were purposely averting their gazes from the fighting siblings, Luther looking between his two remaining brothers like he didn't know what to do or who to side with. On one hand, if they traveled back, Klaus would be okay and safe with them. On the other, Diego had a point that time travel often caused more complications than it solved. But this seemed straight-forward… No time assassins or apocalypse. Just a family going back to save one person. To save Klaus.

As Diego calmed his breathing, Five leaned forward to place his glass on the coffee table, slowly standing and laying Diego with a look that just screamed arrogance to the taller. The look Five always gave them when he thought he knew better than them and that they were just too stupid or slow to understand what he was trying to explain. Just as Five opened his mouth to undoubtedly spout some sort of scientific prattle at him, Diego butt in once more.

"Tell me this. We go back in time to save Klaus, and then what? We don't know who his murderer is. They're still testing the evidence they found off his body. So, we go back in time and we save Klaus from this attack yet we don't know who planned to kill him in the first place. His attacker just waits for the _next_ opportunity to surprise Klaus. Same outcome, different date. But okay, so we keep a close eye on Klaus. Keep him on a short leash to protect him. How long can that last? Eventually we have to go about our own lives. Klaus will sneak out, or decide to go explore in the middle of the night. He could never sit still. We won't be able to watch him every moment of every day for the rest of our lives. This person had planned out how to attack him. This wasn't some random person jumping Klaus just because he was an easy target. We'll always get the same outcome-"

"No, we won't," Five finally cut off Diego's rambling lecture. His collected composure was frayed a bit at the edges, hands clenched at his sides and shoulders tense as he stared down his brother. "We can protect him this time. We can buy him time to find out who hurt him. We can save him-"

"For what? A week? A month? We were never able to save him before, what changes now?"

" _I'm_ here now. I can go back. He'll be safe at the Academy and live-"

"Even if this fucker gives up, Klaus will never just hide away in the Academy. He may be clean but we all know he would go crazy locked away with only us as company! He likes people. Likes _freedom_. If it's not this asshole hurting him, it'll just be someone else-

"And then I'll go back and save him from _that_ person, too! We'll talk to him. Explain everything. Klaus is-"

" **KLAUS IS DEAD!** "

A heavy silence fell over the room after that. With all the yelling back and forth and raised tempers, the quiet that followed felt deafening with the weight it carried with it. Diego and Five stood breathing heavily as they faced each other, both heart rates racing as their family stood around them with uncertainty on what to do. Diego watched as Five's eyes widened in shock. Like, for the first time, he was coming to the realization of what they actually meant. It felt like Number 2 watched him process those words for minutes, but it was probably just a few seconds as Five took a deep breath in and then slowly let it back out as his body sagged, losing the fire that kept him fighting.

He looked tired. Emotionally, mentally and physically drained as he kept eye contact with Diego. This was a man who had lost everything once upon a time and refused to lose it all again without going down kicking and screaming. They all knew he wanted the best for them. Five always just wanted to protect his family to the point that, sometimes, he didn't know when enough was enough. Diego could never fault his brother's loyalty to his family. Sometimes, though, time travel wasn't the best option. Sometimes it was best to just let events happen as they should, even if those events are painful for them. 

Taking a moment to swallow the lump forming in his throat, Number 2 shifted into a more relaxed posture, trying to come off less like an attack and more like a sibling who was just getting his point across.

"Klaus is dead, Five. Please, can we just let him rest…?" His voice was scratchy but soft as he pleaded with his elder brother's better judgement. "He's no longer haunted by his powers. He doesn't have to constantly fight his past addictions. Dad can't hurt him anymore. He can finally rest. Klaus knows you would do anything to help him but… Just… Let him rest, man."

Five… In all their shared childhood years together, and even the past months since Five had been back, Diego had seen only a handful of emotions from the older Hargreeves. Smug pride, annoyance, anger, apprehension, maybe even appreciation on a few rare occasions. He was predictable in that way. They always knew that, no matter what, Five would be calm, cool, and collected. That predictability was comforting. In all his years, Diego had never once seen tears in Five's eyes.

The shorter broke eye contact with Number 2 to look up towards the ceiling as he let out a shaky laugh, the sound holding no actual humor as the tears formed along his bottom lashes. The four Hargreeves watched in stunned silence as the smaller man tried desperately to bite back the hurt. Under his breath, Five muttered a small, heart-broken 'wow' as the tears finally bubbled over. He didn't weep like Vanya had early that day, and he refused to hide his face or tears despite the vulnerability. Hands and body trembled slightly as he refused to peel his eyes from the ceiling, not daring to meet anyone's gaze now.

No one spoke. Everyone refused to break the fragile silence that had formed around them. It took a long moment for anyone to even react to this new development until Diego saw someone shift and step closer to their brother.

Five almost flinched away when he felt a pair of hands suddenly touch his face, taking a moment to collect himself just enough to be able to meet Vanya's eyes. Holding his face steady towards her, Diego could see that the woman's eyes were once again wet with tears of her own as she gave Five a wavering smile, bottom lip trembling slightly as she carefully pulled her brother into her arms. That seemed to kick the family into motion all at once. A moment later, Allison's arms joined Vanya's around the time traveler, her head buried against the back of his shoulder as she hugged them both as close as she could. Within seconds of Allison joining, the group of three were quickly enveloped in two sets of protective holds. Luther on Five's right, and Diego taking up the last space of his left.

Here, held tight in the protective and caring arms of his surviving siblings, Five bent his head down to rest against Vanya's waiting shoulder and he finally let himself be vulnerable.

* * *

The worst part about losing a loved one was that there was no single worst part.

There was just no way to sum up something so complex and vast and wrap a neat little bow around it. In some moments, the worst part would be the forgetting. Of finding yourself turning to make a joke to a person that's no longer there to joke back. The worst part was often the realization that you never got the chance to say goodbye. Hell, you can't even remember the last conversation you had together. You don't remember their last words to you, and you hope that whatever you said to them was at least pleasant so your loved one didn't die thinking you were mad or upset with them. Maybe the worst part was the loss of possibility. The thought that the future could be so much different if only they were still around to be a part of it. That you can't just pick up a phone and talk to them about whatever was on your mind that day. There is a never-ending list of 'worst parts' in dealing with the death of someone you love.

Right now, though? Diego would have said the worst parts were the moments alone.

When his family finally retired to their own rooms for the night, it was the first time Diego had been truly alone since the news of Klaus' death. At least when he had come back to the Academy he had his family to distract him. Helping Mom with this or that, talking to Pogo, Luther wandering in every so often, finding the best reschedule plans with Vanya's lessons. Now, though, it was quiet.

Number 2 was laid on his childhood bed in the dark, nothing but the light of the moon peeking through the curtains helping him see. Despite the newfound calm and quiet, Diego found himself restless, staring up at the ceiling with his foot bouncing under the covers. Honestly, he wasn't even really thinking about anything in particular yet his mind raced and his chest felt tight. A weight had settled on top of his heart which caused an uncomfortable, overworked feeling.

Turning his head, the knife thrower could see out his window and up to the moon, studying it as he took a breath in and steadily released it a moment later. It took a few times repeating this slow in and out before the man could settle his thoughts into something less like a panic and more like a coherent process.

The first thought that crossed his mind was that it was quiet. Even from his room on the second floor he could hear the crickets outside. The Umbrella Academy always had some sort of noise from within its walls. Someone moving around, floor boards creaking, a distant laugh or curse, music. Now, though, it was eerily quiet. The Hargreeves had either been too exhausted from the day to be fidgeting around in their own rooms, or they were doing the exact thing Diego was currently doing.

A second thing that the man thought was that the quiet brought with it a realization. Usually Klaus hated the night. When he would be left alone to deal with the ghosts without the distraction of another person. It had become almost a white noise to hear the other moving about in his room through the night, especially considering Diego shared a wall with the menace for years as children and then off and on when they would stay at the Academy together in adulthood.

No matter how much Diego strained to hear, he couldn't make himself pretend that he heard the usually rustling of his brother around the room next door. Looking for pills or alcohol. Grabbing his headphones to drown out whatever haunted him that day. Talking quietly to himself or, well, Ben as they later found out.

Diego still kicked himself for those wasted years. All the times he wrote off the ghost whisperer as talking nonsense to himself or maybe just finding entertainment in speaking to whatever ghost was closest to him; Diego never cared to ask _who_ the man spoke to. Klaus had his own issues and craziness, and Number 2 never wanted to get involved in the insanity more than he had to.

It wasn't until a month after the **end** **of** the end of the world- when Diego had been coming back to the Academy from visiting a healing Eudora in the hospital- that Klaus called a family meeting. He seemed excited about something, announcing that he had been practicing really hard and that 'they' were ready to show the family. A 'big surprise'. The lanky fool was buzzing with a happiness Diego hadn't seen in him for a long time. Despite most of Klaus' family meetings ending in confusion and sometimes frustration, the Hargreeves all gathered in the living room to see what the human ouija board had to say this time.

Standing in front of his family, Klaus had addressed the open air to his left, causing a skeptical look to cross his siblings' faces. They watched as the man adjusted his stance, hands open wide at his sides to reveal his tattoos before they closed to make a tight fist. It seemed to take him a moment to focus before a blue light formed around his closed fists and, in the middle of their family circle, a transparent blue figure appeared.

All those years wasted. All that time, if they had just asked Klaus who he was talking to, that they could have been speaking to Ben. Asking his opinions and getting him in on their sometimes silly family voting. He couldn't eat, but Ben probably had a good opinion on if the Hargreeves should have pizza or sushi that night. Unless that opinion was different from Diego's, then it would be a horrible opinion and vetoed immediately. Obviously.

And sure, since Klaus showed that Ben was in fact there and could be made corporeal as long as Klaus focused on it, they'd all had a great few months together! Klaus acted as a translator between his living and dead siblings, making Ben corporeal here and there when requested. It still seemed to take a lot of effort for Klaus to maintain his ghost brother's physical form for more than a few minutes, but it was worth it. It was always worth the effort if it meant his family could hug Ben and see his face light up in a smile at finally being noticed by his siblings. At least, Diego felt that way and he hoped Klaus did as well. Having Ben back felt like the family was complete again.

With Klaus' death, there was a slow realization that Ben was gone, too. Even if Ben was still here with them, there was no one to tell them what he said or make him real so they could hug or punch him (only if he deserved it, the sarcastic bastard). They not only lost Klaus, but they also lost the brother they had just gotten back.

"Fuck," Diego bit out quietly to himself, blinking a wet blurriness from his eyes. They lost two brothers today.

Throwing his covers off of himself, Number 2 stood from his bed and quietly left his room, heading only a few rooms down before stopping outside of one door in particular. A room that hadn't been touched in years. He felt ridiculous, but Diego reached up to knock gently before opening the door and looking around with a small, "Ben?"

Honestly, he didn't know what he expected to get in return. Even if he was there, Ben couldn't answer him. Still, it was just polite as the knife thrower moved to close the door behind him and sit down on Ben's still perfectly made bed. When they were kids, Number 6 had always made his bed before they left for lessons or training. While Grace usually made the beds of the other 6, Ben was always the one to do it himself. Diego tried not to think too hard about how the bed was never disturbed since then only because Ben never returned back to it.

Instead, Number 2 sat there and just took in the room. It was dark, but from what he could see, there were books littered on every reachable surface. Shelves, dresser, nightstand, desk; if it was a flat surface, there was a book. Text books mostly took up the desk though. They had been preparing for a science exam when Ben died, and the boy still had his book open to the lesson in hopes of studying it when they had gotten back from their mission. Glancing to the bed, Diego could see a small shape tucked into the dark corner near the pillows where the bed met the wall. Leaning over, the man could just barely reach the object and pulled it from the shadows for a better look.

Holding it in his hands, Diego ran his thumb over the old paper octopus. He hadn't thought about this thing in years, but he remembered it being made. Ben had always hated his powers. Hated the Horror. He had confided this information to Diego on many occasions, and to Klaus at least a million more times considering how close they had become. To his credit, Klaus had always been a caring big brother to Ben and- in his weird way of trying to make things better- the boy had made Number 6 this silly paper octopus doll from the pages of his own math textbooks. It was horribly misshapen and the Hargreeves children had all joked about it for weeks. Klaus had even gotten in trouble for destroying his books when Dad had found out, but they had never seen Ben without it after that day.

Now, the poor thing was distressed. The paper was curled and ripped from years of being moved from one folder or notebook or hand to the next. The gloss of the page had been worn off in some spots and the white had turned to an aged yellow. Despite how much it had been carried around, it had been pretty well loved and cared for. Well, as much as a child could care for a paper doll. For a long moment, Diego just stared at the little paper octopus, thumb tracing it's curled tentacles and the places where glossy paper turned to rough texture. His chest felt numb, the man not knowing if he should cry or laugh over the memories this handmade toy brought with it. In the silence of the room, holding a stupid paper octopus as delicately as a fragile baby bird, Diego quietly spoke to an unseen brother, "Ben, for fuck sake, take care of him."

The more Diego thought about it, maybe it was the loud absence of Klaus not being there that was the worst part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't imagine Five is much of a crier, but I feel he would over the death of a family member. More so, over the death of a family member that he couldn't just travel back to save.
> 
> I have the siblings bouncing between a few stages of the grief cycle at this point, some developing faster than the others.  
> 1) Luther is more of an internal struggle, going through the motions and dealing with his own feelings less visibly.  
> 2) Diego is going through a few different stages. He's accepted Klaus' death, but he's still struggling with the anger, bargaining, and depression.  
> 3) Allison, while holding it together, is dealing mostly with the denial and depression parts.  
> 4) Klaus is dead. Shocking, I know, but he'll get his time to grieve his own death in time. Accept his own death??? You get what I mean.  
> 5) Five has just gotten pushed past his major denial and bargaining. He'll still struggle with them though and we'll see more on that later.  
> 6) Ben was mentioned!! He'll be around much more once Klaus is back, so you'll get his side of things later!  
> 7) Vanya, soft sweet Vanya, is mostly dealing with the depression stage. She hasn't quite reached acceptance yet, but she's probably the closest to it with Diego.


	4. III. The Empress, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "That's not funny," Vanya spoke suddenly, a strength to her voice that wasn't usually there.
> 
> Diego cautiously glanced to the vanity as he heard a soft rattle behind him like glass clinking together. Perfume bottles visibly vibrated in their spots atop the wood, the liquid inside rippling before slowly settling once more with Vanya's outburst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three notes before we begin:
> 
> 1) Thank you all for the support! It's been really encouraging and I've enjoyed writing for you and seeing your comments. The reactions to last chapter have been amazing.
> 
> 2) Apologies in advance for the next 2 chapters. I wrote most of these pages while in hospital, so though I'm not the most proud of them, I still think they cover good character/family dynamics. Nothing too exciting, but it's all leading up to something, I promise!
> 
> That being said--
> 
> 3) YOU'LL BE GETTING TWO CHAPTERS TODAY! While writing The Empress, the chapter turned out twice as long as my normal chapter length. So, I broke the chapter into 2 parts (The Empress and The Emperor) and instead of making you wait until NEXT Sunday for part 2, I'm just going to drop it immediately.
> 
> So, hope you enjoy and thank you for reading!

Waking up to a loud knock on the door was annoying enough on a normal basis, but then seeing Luther's dumb face peek into the room to say something nearly sent Diego into a childish tantrum. It took a few seconds of grumbling and blanket kicking for Number 2 to sit up in bed and better face his brother, annoyed scowl across his lips as he asked Luther to repeat whatever he had said.

With a sigh, the taller man pushed open the bedroom door further so he could stand in the doorway, eyebrows pinched together in his own brand of annoyance at Diego's antics. "I called the precinct to set up the arrangements for Klaus earlier," he repeated, talking slower as if Diego wouldn't hear him again.

As soon as the sentence left Luther's mouth, Diego felt his limbs go cold as he let out a small, "Oh." For a moment, newly awake and only concerned about why his brother was in his doorway, Diego had forgotten about Klaus. Forgot that his baby brother laid lifeless in a morgue. Forgot that he couldn't just go a door down the hall and barge in to annoy the human ouija board. Although, it was usually pretty difficult to annoy the other to begin with. Klaus was always a good sport as long as he wasn't interrupted while doing something he deemed 'very important and life threatening'. Last time Diego barged in on something like that, Klaus had been trying to turn one of Number 2's old leather jackets into a vest. So yes. Very important and life threatening.

Seeing Diego's face drop and how Number 2 just stared at him, Luther awkwardly cleared his throat and continued talking in hopes that he didn't lose his brother's attention. "At the end of the call, I was transferred to Detective Patch. She wanted to speak to you and I have her on hold in Dad's office. I can tell her you're busy if-"

"No!" Diego seemed to surprise himself with his own yell, coughing to distract from his overreaction before trying again. This time calmer. "No, I'll talk to her. Did she say what she wanted to talk about?" He asked as the covers were thrown from his legs and he started to head pass Luther and out of the room.

"No. She just apologized for having to get a hold of you that way. Said 'if he bought a cellphone, I wouldn't have to chase him down to get a hold of him'," Luther said, making air quotes around Eudora's words.

The air quotes only seemed to make Diego scoff, finding not only the action ridiculous- coming from Luther- but also Eudora's words. She clearly got a hold of him just fine! She always found a way to contact him, even if it took a few tries and some searching sometimes. He doesn't need a cellphone.

Waving off Luther with a thanks, the vigilante went off towards Reginald's office to find the phone placed carefully down on the desk. Taking a seat in the office chair, Diego pulled the phone to his ear to finally save Eudora from her silent cellular limbo.

"If you're calling to tell me Pogo is dead now too, you can keep him. Maybe donate him to science." Almost immediately, Diego cringed at his own joke. Although it was lighthearted and he obviously knew Pogo was fine, making a joke about a dead relative right after Klaus just twisted the knife a bit. Maybe it was just a  _ little _ too early to make those kinds of jokes, if not for Eudora's sake then for his own.

"Diego," the woman sighed over the phone. It was weird to think how that disappointed exhale alone was such a highlight to his morning, but Diego found himself smiling and imagining the 'I'm done with you' look that would have crossed the detective's face. Hell, he had seen it enough times to know exactly how she looked.

"I'm just saying," Diego amended with a shrug to no one in particular. "Only time you call me is when someone is dead or kidnapped so… Why did you call? Not that I don't love yo-"

"I tried calling your basement getaway," Detective Patch cut in, not letting Diego continue his prattle. "But the owner said you never returned after you left yesterday. I assumed if you weren't there, you would be at the Academy. Your brother was very nice to get you for me but we could have skipped all of this if-"

"Yeah yeah! 'If you just got a cellphone', I know. Your little messenger boy already told me," Diego said, practically pouting as he kicked his feet up onto the corner of Reginald's desk. Across the line, he could hear Eudora let out a small huff of air. It was her version of laughing at his ridiculousness and made Diego smirk a little himself. "But you didn't really answer my question, Patch. What's up? Why are you calling?"

For a moment, Eudora was quiet, most likely trying to figure out how to best approach her reason for calling. "Well, I wanted to check in on you. And your family, of course."

"Of course," Diego repeated gently under his breath, leaning back with his free arm crossed over his chest. Eudora never checked in. At least, not for personal things. When Reginald died, the detective already knew that Diego didn't care about it so she never asked. When Mom died- albeit, temporarily- Diego had gone to her. She was never really the one to contact him first. They just didn't work that way together. Personal business just didn't get between them. Well, at least, not anymore.

But Klaus and his death? It's different. Eudora was there. She gave them the news and watched the family break down. Already knew the fragile state the Hargreeves family was in to begin with, so it made sense that she would call to check in on them all. It wasn't like she was calling  _ just _ for Diego. She had asked about the other siblings, too.

"How's everyone fairing? Is Vanya feeling better?" The genuine care in her voice tugged at Diego's heart. She may not know his family that well besides what she had heard over the years from the vigilante or the media, but Eudora had always been such a kind woman. Forgiving and caring and sweet. Someone Diego truly looked up to.

"Yeah, she's-," he started, reaching a hand up to scratch at the scruff on his chin. His voice matched Patch's soft tone as he looked past the windows attached to their dad's office. "They're all doing well. Vanya seemed to be doing better by last night. Luther and Allison have been keeping themselves busy and Five is, well… Five."

"Explain?" Of course Diego had spoken about Five before to Eudora, but most of her knowledge came from what the man said about his childhood. She had known Five was back, but seeing as most of her past months were taken up by the hospital and some physical rehabilitation work, they hadn't exactly had much time to talk about these new developments.

Diego gave a hum in thought. "Well, he- okay, so… Remember how Five could jump space? Like, from one spot to the next? And then he went missing but came back months ago and we found out he was just stuck in the future?"

"Um… Yeah. I remember the space jumping, although you never really explained the time travel to me."

"Point taken- we'll talk more about that later- but generally, Five's whole thing is space and time travel. It's sort of his go-to when things go to shit and, well… Klaus' death is kind of shit."

Eudora made a small noise at that, like the little details finally added up for her to get the bigger picture. "So, Five wants to travel back to save Klaus."

"Basically, yeah." Diego paused after that, Eudora also falling silent on her end. Admitting to your ex that your younger but older brother not only could time travel but also wanted to in order to save your now dead brother was no small thing, but at least it seemed like Eudora wasn't completely freaking out. Really, from what Diego has told her of his family, this should just sound like another topping to the fucked up Hargreeves pie.

"Time travel just… It's not like they make it in the movies," Diego continued explaining. "You go back to change one thing and here it sets off a whole different set of event bombs that usually end up making everything worse. I know Five just wants to protect Klaus- wants to protect  _ all _ of us- but… It's a little screwed up to say, but I think Klaus would prefer to be dead, you know? He mentioned losing someone before so maybe he's with them. Or with Ben..."

For a long few minutes, neither spoke on their end. Diego could hear the faint background noise of the precinct on Eudora's end, listening to the sound of people talking and papers shuffling before the detective finally spoke.

"I think you're right, Diego," she agreed, her voice once again soft. For a moment Diego felt bad for her. Not bad as in 'aw, poor Eudora', but more so that this was a normal woman who lived a normal life and every so often she had to talk to Diego who carried a whole slew of drama that normal people shouldn't have to deal with. How do you even comfort a person who's whole life was so much  _ more _ than you have even experienced in your own life? How do you tell a family of superheroes anything comforting when you haven't even experienced half of what they had? So, in a way, Diego felt bad for Eudora. To put her in a position of feeling like she had to somehow comfort him when she barely knew  _ how _ was maybe asking too much of her.

Instead, Diego tried, "How about this weekend, if the Captain will let you get out from behind your desk, we can go out for lunch and talk about all the Hargreeves drama you missed in the past months? Sounds good?"

On the other line, Eudora scoffed at the insinuation that she couldn't leave her desk without the Captain's permission. Sure, she was mostly on desk work until she completed her physical therapy and got the okay from her doctor to return to normal duties, but it wasn't like she was chained to the damn desk. "Saturday, lunch. I'm picking the place because I know you'd just have us eat leftovers at your place."

"Eudora, how dare you assume I wouldn't take you out somewhere nice!"

"Would you?"

"Absolutely not," Diego teased, a big smirk across his lips that Eudora could most likely hear from the tone of his voice alone.

Laughing gently, an action that still hurt the woman from time to time, Eudora called the man an asshole before repeating their plans and saying her goodbyes and that she had to get back to work. With a goodbye of his own, Diego hung up the phone and sat back once more in Dad's chair to silently stare out the windows.

Now off the phone, Diego could hear the sounds of the house. Despite being further away, he heard the sounds of a few of his siblings talking. Mostly Luther's deeper voice and Five's higher pitched tone and moments of quiet that was probably Vanya speaking although she was far too quiet for her voice to carry all the way to their dad's office. It was peaceful sitting there in silence listening; the muffled chatter of his sibling, the soft thud of Pogo's walking stick as he moved about the Academy, the rhythmic click of heels that slowly grew louder as they came closer to the office.

Diego looked to the door just as Grace appeared in the doorway, a perfect smile on her lips as she immediately met Diego's eyes.

"Good morning, dear. Breakfast is almost ready if you'll be joining us," she said. Yesterday, her sweet cheer was unsettling to be around but today it was welcomed. It made things feel normal- at least, for the time being- and Diego gave his own small smile as he moved to stand and walk over to the caregiver.

"Yeah, Mom. I'll join. What're we having today?" He asked as he put a hand on his mother's back, starting to walk with her back down the hall and towards the kitchen. Asking for a few moments of normalcy wasn't a bad thing, right?

* * *

Klaus' empty seat at the table sat like a silent reminder to the Hargreeves siblings as they had breakfast that morning. Even when they tried to joke or at least hold a simple conversation, the untouched chair was still there in all of their views.

Mom hesitated with the last plate she had pulled out as she was serving her children, a sixth plate that she no longer needed. Diego hadn't said anything- none of the siblings had said anything, if the others had noticed at all- as Grace stood by the stove, the final plate held carefully in both of her hands as she seemed to study the ceramic. After a long moment, she quietly set the plate back in the cabinet and started cleaning up the pans and stove top from the mess of cooking.

No one mentioned the hesitancy or the empty seat, but everyone complimented the meal and thanked the woman for breakfast.

* * *

By the afternoon, Diego felt like he had drifted around the halls of the Academy for far too long. It was strange. He felt like, at any moment, he would turn a corner and run face first into Klaus. Or hear the man leaving or coming home at any moment or see his door slightly cracked open. If he didn't know that Klaus was dead, didn't see his body in the morgue, it would feel like his brother was alive. Living and breathing but just out of sight, knowing he existed but just not exactly where.

Instead, Diego found himself running into his other siblings. He had spoken with Luther shortly after breakfast, the two going over what he had worked out for Klaus on his call early today. Apparently, Klaus would be cremated later tonight and they would be able to pick up his ashes by tomorrow morning. That thought sent a dark, bad feeling straight to Diego's gut which the man promptly pushed out of his head and ignored. Once they had his ashes, they could work out together where to put or spread them. Diego just wanted to make sure that Klaus would be someplace he would actually enjoy.

An hour or so after speaking with Luther, Number 2 found himself somehow hanging out with Allison and Vanya in Number 3's room. It had been more by accident than anything that he had ended up there. His sisters had invited him to stay anyway and he took a seat at Allison's vanity as Vanya messily attempted to paint Number 3's fingernails while they sat on the bed together. They held polite conversation between them while Vanya sometimes went quiet as she focused extra hard on trying to keep the paint on the nail and not the surrounding skin. Allison had a fond smile on her face that refused to drop as she watched the violinist's eyebrows scrunch together in concentration and the tip of Vanya's tongue peek out from the corner of her lips.

In the end, the paint still got on Allison's skin and Diego refused to 'be the next client until the nail technician got a bit more training'. Vanya seemed completely okay with that and laughed.

"You know, it just doesn't feel like he's gone," Allison had said as she directed Vanya on how to pack away and store the nail supplies as she let her own nails dry. "I keep feeling like I'll see him sneaking clothes or makeup out of my room. I don't think I've realized yet that he's gone."

Vanya glanced away, giving her own little nod of agreement but not adding much more to the conversation. To Diego, she looked miserable every time Klaus was brought up but he couldn't really blame her. It's barely been over a day. None of them were exactly doing well here.

"Maybe now we might be able to keep our clothes," Diego tried joking, getting a slight chuckle from Allison. "I lost way too many jackets and pants to him."

The corner of her eyes scrunched up in laughter as Allison opened her mouth to joke back. Probably wanted to tease Diego with 'well, if everything you owned wasn't leather, maybe he wouldn't try stealing it' or something similar but her retort was cut off instead by Vanya sounding less than pleased.

"That's not funny," the smaller woman spoke suddenly, a strength to her voice that wasn't usual for her. She was still standing where she had stored away the nail polish, her posture now tight with tension despite seeming curled in on herself. "It's just clothes. Klaus is more important than losing some clothes."

Allison and Diego found themselves staring for a few shocked seconds at Vanya, both surprised at her outburst. Shock turned to a sad smile as Allison held out a hand to Vanya, beckoning her sister to come sit back down with her as she said, "Vanya, I'm sorry. We didn't mean it like that."

Diego cautiously glanced to the vanity as he heard a soft rattle behind him like glass gently clinking together. A few perfume bottles visibly vibrated in their spots atop the wood, the liquid inside rippling before settling once more as Vanya began to calm. His attention returned back to his sisters as Number 7 moved to take Allison's hand, sitting beside her on the bed again.

"Clothes and makeup- those are just things. Just stuff. Klaus means so much more than that. He'll  _ always _ mean more to us than material objects. We're just-" Allison paused to look over at Diego, giving him a small smile before looking back to Vanya and squeezing her hand in reassurance. "We're just making light of everything. I'm sorry. We weren't trying to be mean to Klaus."

Through the whole explanation and apology, Vanya never once looked up to meet Allison's gaze and the other woman didn't push to be looked at. Instead, she was just happy to get a squeeze on the hand back. A sign that Vanya was listening.

It took a second for Vanya to respond, releasing the last of the tension in her shoulders before she finally looked up to meet Allison and Diego's gazes. "I know. I'm sorry. I know you didn't mean anything by it. I just… I was mad. It felt bad to joke about it without him here."

Diego and Allison nodded in agreement, seeming to both take a mental note to be more careful about how they spoke around Vanya. At least, when it came to joking about Klaus that is. The two couldn't blame her for getting upset about it, so it was only fair that her siblings try to be more mindful around her. 

Feeling like the 'party' had come to an end, Diego checked to make sure his sisters would be okay before making his way from the room. Allison would be able to comfort Vanya better than he ever could, and being an awkward third wheel just felt weird. Besides, he still had one last sibling he hadn't seen since breakfast, and he may as well check up on Five while he was nearby.

That is, if Five even wanted to interact with anyone. Considering the man hadn't really spoken with anyone since his breakdown last night and said very little at breakfast, Diego was unsure if his brother would even  _ want _ to talk with him. Still, Number 2 knocked on the elder's door, waiting a beat before just opening the door anyway. He wasn't surprised to see Five sitting on the bed, a notebook open on his lap as he looked up at the taller with the most unimpressed look Diego had seen on Five's face in a while.

The knife thrower couldn't help but chuckle a little, finding just a smidge of pleasure out of annoying his sibling.

"Knocking usually means you're asking for permission to enter," Five said in a monotone voice, snapping shut the notebook and setting it aside as Diego casually leaned against the doorway.

"Yeah, but I also knew your sour old ass wouldn't answer me. It was more of a warning than anything else." Diego folded his arms comfortably over his chest and settled one ankle over the other, glancing to the book as Five set it on the bed. "What's up with the book?"

"Nothing," Five huffed as if the question alone annoyed him. Diego honestly had no idea why the other wasn't throwing him out yet despite seeming so frustrated with his presence, especially after Number 2's blatant intrusion for no obvious reason. So, daring to test the limits of what Five was letting him get away with, Number 2 pushed off the doorway and moved straight for the notebook. He wasn't surprised that Five snatched the book from the bed again, looking like a feral animal protecting his catch as the smaller clutched the book to himself.

"Don't you dare," the older brother warned with narrowed eyes.

"Come on, Five," Diego said as he stepped closer, reaching for the book.

For a moment, he was reminded of their childhood. Of when Five was still getting a grip on his powers and couldn't so easily teleport away at will. When the siblings could actually wrestle their brother instead of hands meeting air the moment they reached for him. It came as a surprise to Diego when he was actually able to grab hold of the corners of the notebook and try to pull it from Five's grasps.

Of course he was immediately met with resistance. For an almost 60 year old, Five sure acted like an affronted cat as the two wrestled back and forth for the flimsy paperback book, Diego telling Five to 'come on, let me see it' as Five hissed and kicked and cursed at the vigilante.

It was a childish moment that, in a weird way, made Diego laugh. He was practically crushing Five by now to try and grab the book, the older's angry scowl and scrunched up eyes only made more laughter bubble up in Diego's chest. The laughter that followed was sudden. Number 2 let go of the book and rolled to sit on the bed instead of hovering over his brother, the taller tossing his head back as he laughed. Beside him, Five gave a loud huff as he righted himself in his seat, fixing his jacket and hair before looking to Diego with a frown. He must have thought Diego was an idiot, a thought that just made the man laugh harder. None of this was even that funny, but with the childhood memories and Five's reactions, this moment seemed like the funniest thing to the man.

Beside him, Five's frown slowly turned to a look of annoyance, then to a neutral expression that probably meant he was trying to figure out if Diego had gone crazy or not, and then finally his face settled on a small smile. He relaxed in his seat a bit seeing as Diego was no longer trying to steal his notes and just waited until his brother's laughter died down. With the last of the giggles leaving his system, Diego let out a content sigh as he wiped the reflex tears from the corner of his eyes, smiling to the smaller as Five rolled his own eyes in return. The two Hargreeves let a short unbroken silence fall between them before Five finally spoke.

"It's equations," he explained as if that alone answered all of Diego's questions. In a way, it did. Equations to Five meant time travel. Time travel meant fixing past events. The only past event recently Five had wanted to fix was…

Diego let his head fall back with a heavy sigh and eyes closed tight as he shook his head. "Five, we discussed this."

"No, you lectured me about it," the smaller man corrected.

"Same thing."

"No."

"Look," Diego cut in sharply, pulling his head back up to look at his brother. This time, Five didn't look like he was ready to fight. His posture stayed relaxed and his expression didn't read like he was trying to talk down to Diego. For once, the guy looked open to discussion rather than their usual verbal battle. "Just because you can go back doesn't mean-"

"I know, Diego." Five's voice came out so soft that it actually caused Diego to pause in surprise. If any word was to be used to describe Five Hargreeves, 'soft' was not it. For him to use that tone to reassure his younger brother… Diego suddenly found himself lost for words.

"Then… Why?" Is all Number 2 could think to ask.

"To be very honest⁴, I don't know. Maybe to have them just in case?" Five looked down to the notebook thoughtfully before flipping through the pages, coming to stop on the last one with writing. It looked like he had been refining the equation on the page, many parts scratched out and reworked to get an even more specific number. Checking and rechecking old work. What they all meant, Diego had no clue. What they  _ did _ , though, he knew exactly.

"Maybe so- in a few years, when everyone comes to their senses- I'll have them ready. Or maybe it's for when I decide not to listen to you anymore and just go back anyway." Closing the notebook once more with a sigh, Five set it aside on his nightstand and leaned back on his bed, using his arms to support himself as he looked up towards the ceiling. It reminded Diego a little bit of last night, although right now he didn't see a single tear in Five's eyes. Just the same feeling of defeat instead.

"But I thought it over and you're right, for once. We don't know who killed Klaus. Going back now would just make things more difficult. At the very least, we could wait until they find who did this to him."

"And what if they don't figure it out for years? What if they can't find this guy? You'll have to move on eventually, Five."

At the question, Five fell quiet, his eyes taking on a dark spark despite his face staying neutral. Slowly, he turned to look Diego directly in the eyes. "Moving on is for people who can't change the past, Diego."

For some reason, those words sent a shiver down Diego's spin. Maybe not the words themselves, but definitely the look Five leveled him with. It was a dark look. Something that told Diego that Five had made up his mind on something that no one would like to hear and, eventually, he would do something that no one would like.

And suddenly, Diego felt no energy to fight. Usually he could argue and fight his siblings for days without tiring, but for some reason this topic just crushed the fight out of him before he could even think about it. Instead, he just slowly moved to stand, Five's eyes following him as he walked towards the door only to stop and look back at his brother.

Diego felt sad for the older Hargreeves. To know Five would forever refuse to accept Klaus' death. Would he act the same when his other siblings died? What if it's by old age, or a health complication? Five can't protect them forever. In a way, Diego was disappointed in the man. Upset that he refused to mourn with them. Instead, he would rather lock himself in his room and rewrite numbers and variables that Diego could only hope that he wouldn't use.

"Don't do anything stupid, Number 5," was all Diego said as he left his brother, feeling no better about their conversation than he did last night. He wasn't going to argue with a brick wall. All he would get is more disappointment.

Diego needed a break from his family's feelings. From Vanya's anger and sadness to Five's refusal of grief all together, it felt like Luther was the only one keeping it together when they spoke. And when Diego started enjoying Luther's company over the other's, then Number 2 definitely knew he needed a break. Getting out of the house didn't sound half bad right around now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> The second part (The Emperor) is out so you don't have to wait! There's some big things coming.


	5. IV. The Emperor, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eudora was always so calm. Where most people would be shaken and nervous, Detective Patch was put together and strong. Seeing her now so visibly strung with anxious energy, Diego wanted nothing more than to protect Eudora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, Part 2 is up! Big changes happen at the end of this one, so hope you enjoy.

Staying out for most of the day maybe wasn't a great idea. Especially when you had no cell phone and no other way for your family to contact you. To be fair, Diego had told Mom that he was heading out and it's not his fault if his family would rather throw a tantrum over his 'disappearance' rather than just ask Grace if she knew where he went. Then again, usually only Diego treated her like a normal human. Not to blame his family, they just didn't interact with her the same way as he did.

So when Diego got home late into the evening with the sun almost down, he was surprised to find himself practically pounced on at the door by his siblings. Or, rather, Luther and Allison did the pouncing. Vanya stood a few steps away looking worried and Five peeked in from the living room before disappearing again back into the other room. At least he wasn't joining in on the 'lets yell at Diego' party, too.

"Diego! Where were you?" Allison said at the same time Luther spoke.

"We tried finding you for lunch and then you weren't back by dinner." The taller man seemed angry, but Diego could see the underlying worry that tensed his shoulders and jaw.

"I-" Diego stuttered, looking between the siblings in front of him quickly. He took a moment to collect himself from his surprise before trying again. "I was just out walking."

"For hours?" Luther asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. The movement looked awkward and a bit uncomfortable with his misshapen muscles, but the point got across anyway. He didn't believe Diego.

"We thought something happened," Vanya offered quietly, as if that would explain the family's intense reaction.

And, honestly, it did. Klaus died when he was alone, no one knowing where he was. It wasn't impossible for that to happen to another one of them. Hell, it wasn't even too far off to think that the guy who attacked Klaus might be after all of the Hargreeves, although Diego doubted that. Seeing how personal Klaus' attack was, it didn't seem likely the attacker would be after them all. Still, Diego found himself raising his hands in a placating manner, showing his family that he was fine and didn't mean any harm.

"No. Nothing happened. I'm fine. I just walked around town. I checked in on Al and explained why I wouldn't be in work for a few days. I just- I needed a moment to myself, guys. But I'm fine," Diego reassured quickly, watching as his family relaxed the more he explained.

Luther let out a sigh as the tension dropped from his shoulders, seeming to take the reassurance and only telling Diego to 'tell us next time you leave' before quickly turning to head into the living room where Five was. Diego wasn't ashamed to admit he did mock his brother's retreating back like a scorned child before looking to Allison, the woman's arms crossed over her chest now.

The way she was standing and the expression on her face almost had the man deflating in on himself. The mothering side of her shined bright as she laid Diego with a disappointed gaze. "Diego, we were worried."

At the tone of Allison's voice, Diego could see behind her as Vanya's eyes widened and she sucked her lips to bite them closed in an expression that read 'oh shit'. It would have made Diego laugh if he wasn't currently the one in trouble. When Vanya tucked tail and quietly escaped the room after that- leaving Diego stuck in place between the front door and an upset Number 3- he couldn't really blame her. If Diego could, he would have done the same.

"I know, Ali," Diegi tried gently. "I did tell Mom where I was, though. So it's not like I just disappeared."

"No. You told Mom 'I'm going out for a walk. I'll be back soon.' But the last time I checked, 9 hours later is not 'soon'." The Rumor's eyes stayed locked on Diego as her brother squirmed in his spot a little. "For all we knew, you went out on your vigilante shtick and got hurt, or was attacked by whoever attacked Klaus. You can't just disappear like that."

Rolling his eyes, Diego crossed his own arms over his chest defensively and groaned. Of course he agreed with her! If it had been Vanya or Allison or even Five who had disappeared, he would have been frantic trying to figure out where they were. Although, being the one to be reprimanded for leaving? Not fun.

"Okay,  _ Mom _ . Didn't realize I needed a hall pass to leave the house I don't even live in anymore."

"Don't call me Mom, and that's not-" Allison paused as she heard a faint noise. Both of the siblings stared at each other, argument forgotten as they tried to listen to whatever had caught Allison's attention. A phone; ringing faintly somewhere in the house. That was weird enough considering no one had really called the Academy since even before Reginald's death.

Before he could get locked back into battle with his sister, Diego quickly dodged around Allison and started heading for the ringing phone, catching Luther's attention just as the big man was leaving the living room to do the same. "I got it! Don't worry."

"Diego! I was talking-" Allison started as Number 2 called over his shoulder to her.

"You can finish your lecture later!" With that, Diego ran off towards Dad's office and the source of the ringing. By the time he reached it, the phone had fallen quiet only to restart it's insistent ringing a few seconds later. Hoping whoever called wouldn't be too angry at having to call a second time, the knife thrower picked up.

"Hello?" he answered simply, not much flare or care to his voice.

The odd silence that followed over the phone after Diego answered immediately put the man on edge. The person on the other end didn't speak and the line seemed far too quiet for someone to be holding it to their face but not talking. No background noise to indicate an accidental call and no faint sound of breathing that could possibly show a strange purposeful call. Diego had to strain to hear anything over the line and was just about to speak again or even hang up when he heard fabric brush over the speaker. Like whoever had called put the receiver to their chest to block out whatever was happening on their end.

"What-" Diego was cut off by Eudora's voice, the woman sounding frazzled as she finally brought the phone to her ear.

"Diego, come down to the station right now," she practically demanded, not even giving Diego a chance to ask what was happening. The detective had demanded a lot from Diego over the years, but never in this urgent tone. Never in a way that truly sent the man's heart racing in fear that something was terribly wrong.

"Okay, I'm coming. What's happening? Patch, are you okay?"

"Yes, I- Just come as quickly as you can. I- It's… You just have to see this for yourself." The urgency in her voice had quickly switched over to amazement, a breathless confusion, and maybe a little frustration as well. Behind her, Diego could make out the sound of a man talking loudly and quickly before there was a clang of metal, the detective calling back for whoever that was to keep it down a moment.

Diego's eyebrows knitted together, worry turning to extreme confusion at what could possibly be happening. "Are you sure you're okay? What was-"

"I'm fine, Diego. Get here soon. Seriously, you need to see this," Eudora said distractedly before she was saying a quick goodbye and hanging up.

Confused by what just happened, Diego pulled the phone back to stare at it before quickly shaking himself into action. Whatever was happening, he didn't have the time to just sit around lost in thought. Darting out of Dad's office, the man was dashing through the Academy and out of the front door as quickly as he could.

Behind him, he could hear his family calling his name. Allison and Luther's voices were the loudest, sounding shocked and angry that he was running out again after  _ just _ being told off for doing such a thing earlier. He could hear one or both of them clatter after him for a few steps, most likely in a messy attempt to catch him despite being too far away. Five's voice also called out for him, though it sounded more out of alarm rather than anger.

Reaching his car, Diego was quick to get onto the road. Heading for the precinct, he could only hope that whatever was happening wouldn't be as bad as the feeling in his gut made him think it was.

The reality of the situation was probably worse than what his gut had been saying.

When Diego reached the precinct- meeting Eudora at the front doors- the last thing he expected was to be led down to the morgue. To be asked if the Hargreeves knew anything about this or were just playing the police like they were fools. Diego defended himself saying he had no idea what she was saying and asked what was happening that had the woman so rattled.

Eudora was always so calm. Even when chasing down culprits or arresting violent offenders or the in her hospital bed after getting a bullet from her back. Where most people would be shaken and nervous, Eudora was put together and strong. Seeing her now so visibly strung with anxious energy, constantly moving in a weak attempt to control herself, Diego wanted nothing more than to take away whatever had spooked her and protect Eudora.

When the detective practically pushed him through the morgue doors, though, Diego had to reconsider what he considered the 'worst' part of this situation. Apparently, being called to the precinct and dragged down to the morgue wasn't the worst thing once Diego saw what was happening in the room.

First, his eyes landed on a rather ruffled looking pathologist. When he had seen the older man last time, the guy had given off a warm and kind air. A good aura to give off when working with the dead and grieving families no doubt. Now the man just looked scared. Like he had seen something that shook him to his core and was making him reevaluate his own life.

The second thing Number 2 noticed, and probably the worst part of this whole experience, was the last person in the room.

Sitting on top of a shining metal autopsy table- body wrapped in a white sheet that barely looked to be keeping out the cold of the room- sat a living, breathing Klaus sipping at a plastic cup of water. He looked like a corpse with his skin so pale and blood still caked in his hair. If Number 4 hadn't currently been moving to sip at his drink, Diego would have thought this was some sort of disgusting prank. When the brothers' eyes met, though, Diego knew this wasn't anything but reality.

Across the room still sitting atop the metal table, Klaus gave a bright smile and raised his tattooed 'Hello' hand in greeting, looking happy to see a familiar face. Diego nearly passed out on the spot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've finally reached ground zero! Klaus is back in the game.
> 
> How have you all been enjoying this fic so far? Thoughts? Feelings?
> 
> What would you like to see happen next? Leave a comment because I absolutely love hearing from you!


	6. V. The Hierophant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Doctor, please explain again to me. Is there any possible way Mr. Hargreeves could have been alive up until now?" Eudora asked.
> 
> The pathologist flipped back a page in his notes to Klaus' earlier records. "By the time Mr. Hargreeves reached me, he had already started the process of Rigor Mortis and Livor Mortis. Later in the day, after the family's visit, I performed an autopsy. He-"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woof, guys!
> 
> All those comments from the last two chapters made my heart melt! Some of you made me laugh so hard and I'm so glad to see you all enjoying this so far.
> 
> After the last two chapters, I went a little easy on this one, so it's mostly just setup and getting updated on Klaus' status.
> 
> Hope you enjoy seeing our boy breathing once more!

At the very least, Diego had been right about one thing; Klaus hated the morgue. He didn't even need to say it out loud for Number 2 to know. Klaus said it in the way he stayed curled in on himself in his place on top of the autopsy table. He said it in the way his hand clutched far too hard against the plastic water cup and the edges of the white sheet, keeping the fabric tight around any of his exposed skin. He practically screamed it in the way his eyes darted around to invisible people in the room before coming back every few seconds to settle on the living ones instead.

Diego had no doubt Klaus would have sprinted out of this room by now if he hadn't been naked and if the pathologist wasn't standing in front of him and telling him to settle down every time Klaus so much as looked at the doors for too long. Actually, the vigilante had no doubt Klaus would have bolted for the doors even  _ with _ his nakedness, so really Diego should be thankful that the doctor was being as annoyingly perceptive as he was. Not like Klaus could move very far with the older man hovering around him, checking his pulse and blood pressure and eyes and healing wounds in frantic movements, only pausing to take notes with an amazed look before he was checking over Klaus once again.

Usually the human ouija board would be preening with all of this attention on him, but right now he looked like he wanted nothing more than to be left alone. Klaus looked frighteningly pale and if it had been any other time, Diego would have called the pathologist off of his brother to give him space to breathe. But the paleness also made the bruising across Klaus' skin stand out even more and it was the only reason Diego didn't stop the doctor. They didn't know  _ what _ Klaus' health was like right now so someone had to check him over.

Sadly, the brothers hadn't gotten a chance to say a single word to each other after Diego's arrival. While Klaus was being checked, Number 2's attention was pulled to Eudora who stood beside him.

She looked mad as she repeated her earlier question, voice quiet so only Diego could hear her. "Did you know about this?"

"About-" Diego started, eyes moving quickly between the detective and Klaus and his own voice low to match Eudora's tone. "About Klaus pulling a Walking Dead? Of course I didn't know, Eudora." His words came out almost breathless, his lungs feeling like they held both too much air and also not enough.

"Maybe your team messed up. I heard stories of people being pronounced dead when they just had a weak heartbeat. Maybe-"

"No way," Eudora cut in quickly, hands on her hips and a deep scowl forming a wrinkle in her brows. "He had no heartbeat. We- Look."

Grabbing Diego hard by the shoulder of his shirt, she pulled him over to the table and, in doing so, closer to Klaus. In a strange way, Diego almost wanted to pull away and refuse to get closer. Getting closer made it all far too real. It would show him that this wasn't just a hopeful dream and that his and his family's lives were about to get far more complicated.

But pulling away would show he was nervous or even scared, and the last thing Diego would want a newly living Klaus to possibly think is that his brother was scared of him. So, the man let himself be pulled, heading specifically for the pathologist and the notes he was writing.

"Dr. Welch, please explain again to me. Is there  _ any _ possible way Mr. Hargreeves could have been alive up until now? A weak pulse? Possible coma?" Eudora asked, though her question definitely sounded more like 'explain to this fool' rather than 'explain to me'. Diego wasn't in a place to argue.

The pathologist, Dr. Welch, looked up from his notes with a blink almost like he was coming back to reality. For being an older man, his wide eyed excitement over this situation sure made him look like a kid in a candy store. Beside him, Klaus just looked happy to not be getting prodded at anymore.

Dr. Welch turned to better face Diego and Detective Patch, flipping back a page in his notes to Klaus' earlier records. "All patients are checked by a qualified medical professional to assure that they've passed. Mr. Hargreeves showed irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiration functions. By all accounts, he was dead before he was even picked up by the EMTs."

Behind the pathologist, Klaus' gaze was somewhere off in middle space as he went back to drinking his water. Diego assumed it was more of an automatic movement rather than him actually needing to drink. If he had to guess, Klaus was probably doing his best to ignore everything happening around him right now.

"By the time he reached me," the doctor continued, "Mr. Hargreeves had already started the process of Rigor Mortis and Livor Mortis. Later in the day, after the family's visit to identify his body, I performed an autopsy. He-"

The man paused, seeming to realize something as he looked back to Klaus with a very concerned expression. His movement seemed to snap Klaus back into reality, looking up at the older man curiously as Dr. Welsh repeated in amazement, "I performed his autopsy. I removed organs for testing..."

Now  _ that _ got Klaus' attention. Immediately, Number 4's eyes widened and the hand not holding his cup flew to his chest, specifically falling over the place his heart was.

"Did you put it back?" Klaus asked almost frantically and far too loudly. Diego didn't miss how scratchy and painful his brother's voice sounded, like if he yelled just a little louder he would be in danger of losing it all together.

Quickly, the doctor raised his hands to placate his panicking patient. Patient? Diego assumed that was the right word to use in this situation. "Yes! Yes, of course. I mean, clearly. You're alive. But that doesn't change the fact that-"

He didn't complete his sentence, but everyone knew what he meant to say. Still, Klaus decided it must be up to him to finish the thought.

"The fact that I was dead."

The three other adults in the room fell extremely quiet at that, staring at Klaus. The man barely held their gazes for more than a few seconds before he was glancing away towards the closed freezer doors on the other side of the room, a small frown tugging at his lips. Whoever he saw over there was clearly not pleasing to him.

Standing so close to Klaus, Diego could actually study his younger brother now that he was fully looking at him. He could see just how pale Klaus was under the fluorescent lights, blood still matted in the curls of his hair. Where the other's hands now loosely tugged at the sheet to cover himself, Diego spotted just a hint of angry looking red scars peeking past the opening of the sheet. The beginning of his autopsy scars. The bruises littering his skin stuck out in stark contrast, looking even darker than they did when he was dead, and Diego wanted nothing more than to wrap his brother up tight and get him out of here.

Instead, Diego found himself reaching out for his brother. His hand came up to touch Klaus' shoulder and draw the other's attention to him before he was pulling Klaus into a protective hug.

It was a bit awkward with Klaus sitting on the table and Diego standing, causing Klaus to have to lean down a little. Plus, Diego didn't want to hurt the other by hugging too tightly, yet he found himself smiling as almost immediately his brother was wrapping his own lanky arms around Diego in return. Against the dark fabric of Number 2's shoulder, Klaus buried his face. It was the act of actually touching Klaus that connected the wires in Diego's brain.

Klaus was breathing and moving and in his arms. His brother was alive.

"Holy shit…."

Klaus just gave a small chuckle at Diego's curse. He seemed to agree with the sentiment.

It took awhile for the brothers to separate from their embrace. Diego refused to let go first and the detective and pathologist thankfully didn't seem keen on breaking the two apart. It was Klaus who decided he had enough and slowly pulled away from Diego with a wide smile on his lips. A smile Diego had seen on his brother a million times before and something Number 2 never thought he would see again.

"Wow, Diego. You look like you've seen a ghost," Klaus teased playfully which caused Diego to automatic scoff at the overall ridiculousness.

"Last I checked, that was your power, not mine," Diego said with an unimpressed raise of his brow before he was leaning away a little. "But seriously, Klaus, what the hell? When could you come back from the dead? Why didn't you tell us? Did you even know before this?" That last question was the most concerning to Diego.

Klaus' usual quick responses and quips seemed to be coming slower to him as it took the man some time to work through what Diego was asking. It probably didn't help that he was being bombarded with questions after  _ just _ coming back to life. Diego made a mental note to slow down.

Before Klaus could even respond though, he was stopped by Eudora who finally spoke up. "Diego- Klaus. Look, I'm sorry to interrupt this, but we really should get Klaus checked over at the hospital to-"

Before she could even finish, Klaus practically whipped his head around to glare at her. It was such an uncharacteristic look on the other's face that Diego had to take a step back, suddenly feeling like he was standing in front of a completely different person. He looked wild and angry. All of the earlier lethargy in Klaus seemed to be gone in an instant.

"No! Absolutely not," the man hissed out. His body grew tense. It reminded Diego of a feral animal in the middle of a group of enemies rather than people who cared for him and wanted to help. "I'm not going to a hospital. This place is horrible enough. I'm fine. I just need my clothes and I can go. I don't even want to be here. It's too loud in here. I just want to go home."

Before Klaus could continue, Diego reached out to put a steadying hand on his brother's arm. He was sure Klaus would lash out at him next but instead, when Number 4's eyes shot to him, the other's body sagged as the fight sizzled out of him. Klaus closed his eyes tightly and shook his head as if to clear it. Whatever was happening in his brain was clearly upsetting him. Lashing out unprovoked just wasn't like Klaus.

The outburst left the room in shocked silence, all three adults watching Klaus as he seemed to right himself again. The slowness had returned as he sat up straighter and looked back to Detective Patch apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Detective-"

"Patch."

"Ms. Patch. Lovely name," Klaus corrected, receiving an unimpressed stare from both Diego and Eudora before the man continued. "But can I just, like, do what you need me to here and then go home? I just  _ really _ hate hospitals."

If Klaus was good at one thing, it was puppy dog eyes. Diego alone had fallen for that sad gaze many times before and as soon as his brother was laying that look on Eudora, Diego knew that if it was his choice, Klaus would get his way immediately. Sure, Number 2 wasn't proud of that fact, but he always was a pushover when his younger siblings looked sad when they wanted anything from him. Even now.

Detective Patch and Klaus met each other's gazes for far too long. It was to the point where Diego was sure they must both be feeling awkward and Dr. Welch shifted a bit in his spot watching the two. The silence was only broken when Eudora let out a heavy sigh, rubbing a hand across her face.

"Do you remember your attacker? Anything about him? His name or even his face?" she asked, meeting Klaus' gaze steadily.

Diego expected maybe for his brother to cringe or at least look uncomfortable at the thought of his attack, but instead the other just looked thoughtful. It seemed to take him a bit of effort to recall anything before he nodded.

"It's a little fuzzy, especially once I got whacked, but I think I remember his face." There was a pause before Klaus added quickly, his hands moving in the air in front of him as he spoke, "Oh! And a first name. I saw him before. Kind of messy in the brain juices, but I think I remember a name."

Eudora seemed surprised by that, her eyebrows raising before she was nodding. "Okay, good. Let the doctor give you one last thorough check and then I want anything you know about your attacker. After that you're free to go home, but I'll be staying in touch with you and your family, deal?"

At the promise of getting to go home, Klaus was quick to agree to these terms, adding only one request in on his side, "And my clothes."

* * *

As it turns out, getting clothes back from evidence, whether victims are living or dead, was an impossible demand. As much as Klaus whined and cried that he loved the pants and shirt that the forensics team had packed away as evidence, he seemed to reluctantly relent when the detective brought him some extra clothes from police storage. Just a simple pair of joggers that seemed to fit Klaus well and an official police department sweater that was just a size or two too big. Number 4 was pleased with the fact that he now owned 'official police merch'. Absolutely ridiculous, Diego thought.

For the first time since Diego and Klaus were reunited, the two were separated once more after Klaus dressed. Eudora wanted to question Klaus separately and having mama bear Diego hovering around would only act as a distraction. And, honestly, with Klaus already getting distracted every few seconds, he definitely didn't need  _ more _ distractions. So- as much as it pained Number 2 to leave his brother's side so soon- Eudora and Klaus went into an interrogation room to start the questioning and Diego took this chance to find a phone.

He had no idea how he was going to break this to his family even as he was punching in the Academy's phone number.

Unsurprising, it was Luther who answered on the fifth ring, sounding frustrated yet polite as he answered. When he heard Diego on the other end, all the previous politeness was gone.

"Diego, where did you run off to? First you come home late and then run out again? You had us worri-"

"Luther! Can you listen a second?" Diego practically scolded the other. If he wanted to be nagged at over the phone- well… Luther actually might be the only option if Number 2 wanted that. Safe to say, Diego didn't want that.

Thankfully, Luther did seem to quit the lecture as soon as Diego asked, although he did let out a mad little huff that showed he didn't very much appreciate being scolded. Number 1 never did like being told what to do by his siblings. "I'm listening."

With a slow, steady intake of breath, Diego started, "I got called to the precinct an-" The words choked off in his throat, making him unable to finish. Unable to just say 'and Klaus is alive'.

Was a phone call really the right way to tell his family? If Diego had been told over the phone, even by Eudora, he wouldn't believe it. Hell, even  _ now _ he couldn't believe it, and he had seen and touched Klaus himself! No. He couldn't just tell them. He needed to show them.

His choked off sentence and long pause seemed to have alarmed Luther if the man's concerned voice was anything to go by, asking Diego what was wrong.

When the vigilante tried again, he decided to go with a different strategy.

"I'm going to be home in about an hour. Can you make sure everyone is in the living room?  _ Everyone _ . It's important and- You guys really won't believe me unless I show you." If anyone could boss their siblings into all being in one spot at the same time, it would be Luther. Five too, but even he sometimes struggled to control the Hargreeves family.

With hesitance and still a slight bit of concern, Number 1 agreed, "Fine. But if you're not home by eleven-"

"I know. You'll come down here and drag me home yourself," Diego sighed.

"No? I'm locking the front door and not letting you in." That frustrated threat was the closest thing Luther had gotten to a joke with Diego and it almost made Number 2 snort out a laugh.

"Fine. An hour, two tops. Thanks, Luther." Without waiting for a response, Diego hung up. As he made his way back to wait on Klaus and Eudora, Diego just hoped his family wouldn't be too mad at him running out earlier. At least, not when they see who he brought home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shoutout to my sister, Ashley.
> 
> (She beta read my first 2 chapters before I put them out and then just never read my story again, the coward)
> 
> But recently she started watching Umbrella Academy because I continually talk about it and, as soon as she saw Klaus on screen, she looked at me and nodded all-knowingly and said, "Okay, I get it. I get it now. Yeah."
> 
> I think her favorite is Diego though, which I cannot argue because same.


	7. VI. The Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At first, Klaus thought the darkness was his own eyes failing him. His following groan echoed in that weird way it does in confined spaces and Klaus realized that he hadn't gone blind. He was in a small box. A very cold, very metal box.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Usually I like to get these chapters out around 12pm my time, but today I'm a little late on account of...
> 
> I'm giving you guys another double chapter update!
> 
> Since this chapter ended up being more follow up from last chapter with Klaus' view of things, I wanted to give you guys a little more content.  
> Hoping you enjoy!

Dying and, subsequently, coming back to life was not something Klaus wanted to make a habit of. The first time it happened was a fluke, really. You take one nasty little fall and meet God and  _ suddenly _ you're an immortal being gasping and shaking back to life, limbs cold from the lack of blood supply moments beforehand. One time dying was well enough, thanks. Doing it over and over didn't sound particularly appealing to Klaus.

Yet, here he found himself again, taking a large breath into lungs which had been far too stagnant up until now. His heart almost hurt in his chest as the beat stuttered back into rhythm and the numbness and chill through his body stung. It felt like pins and needles as his nerves came back online and all Klaus could do was let out a confused, pained groan as his body instinctively squirmed against the pain. Eyes blinked wildly to try and take in where he was.

At first, Klaus thought the darkness was his own eyes failing him, but when the darkness didn't fade and his own gasp and groan echoed in that weird way it did in confined spaces, he realized that it wasn't just his eyes. He was in a small box. A very cold, very metal box.

At first, Klaus panicked. Probably not the best for him to do given his situation, but if he had been buried alive, he felt like it was the only appropriate response. Although, Number 4 was pretty sure most, if not all, caskets were not made out of full metal. Wood, maybe. But not metal, and especially not without a nice silk lining! He swore, if his family buried him in a solid metal coffin, he would claw his way out of here himself and kick every one of their asses.

The only reason Klaus didn't continue this train of thought was because, as he weakly punched the roof of his chamber- creating a bang far too loud and echoing for a buried casket- he heard a clatter. A noise that was barely loud enough for him to hear, but caught his attention as he realized that there must be something outside of his 'coffin' to make that noise.

Klaus banged on the roof again, this time a little harder, to try and get whatever clattered to do so again. Instead, he was met with a few seconds of silence before what sounded like a heavy handle turned and his contained little area was flooded with fluorescent light. All he could do was squeeze his eyes shut and tilt his head up, squinting into a too bright room and straight into the face of a pale, scared man.

His name tag read Dr. Welch and all Klaus could do was wave a weak hand in greeting.

* * *

For what it was worth, the good old doctor was very nice once he stopped freaking out. He even gave Klaus a nice blanket to keep warm and some water after Number 4 tried to speak only to stop when his dry throat made it impossible. Klaus didn't particularly remember Dr. Welch calling anyone down into the morgue- but then again, everything felt a little fuzzy and disjointed at the moment- until suddenly there was someone else standing in front of him and looking just as pale as the doctor had looked.

Klaus recognized her. That was the first thing he croaked out upon glancing up and seeing the beautiful detective in front of him. She looked familiar, but her name escaped him.

Turns out, she was the key to bringing his family to him. Or at least one family member. Time moved weird as his brain tried to process and- quite literally- come back from the dead. Everything was both far too slow and sickeningly fast. One moment the detective was staring at him, all wide eyed and scared, and the next Klaus had squeezed his eyes shut to blink away the bright light of the room only to open them again to see Diego.

Number 2 himself, looking at Klaus like he was a ghost. It was pretty funny though, people thinking Klaus was a ghost when there were two real spirits in this room which Number 4 blatantly ignored. So, focusing on the living instead, Klaus gave a smile and raised his hand to greet his brother. If the wobble in the other's knees and stumble were anything to go by, Klaus guessed Diego missed him.

* * *

What Klaus wanted most was to go home. The longer he sat in this morgue, cold and disoriented and watching ghosts drift in and out of the corner of his vision, the more Klaus missed his soft bed. He practically had to beg the detective lady, Patch, to let him go in return for him answering her questions. That only served to get Klaus sat in an interrogation room instead which, thankfully, was a bit warmer but not any more comfortable than the morgue.

He watched the detective set up a recorder in the middle of the table between them as well as a notebook and his file in front of her for her own reference. When she spoke to him, her voice was kind and soft. A voice that could easily put anyone at ease and would have done so for Klaus too if not for the freaky dead guy skulking in the corner.

"Can you please state your name for the record?" The woman asked, motioning to the recorder.

Nodding, Klaus leaned in slightly to clearly state, "Klaus Hargreeves," into the recorder before leaning back again, receiving a small nod of approval from the detective.

"Mr. Hargreeves," the woman began, opening the file and notebook in front of her before folding her hands politely on top of them as she addressed him directly. "This interview is being recorded for later reference and evidence. Please know that, at some points during this interview it may sound like I am doubting or questioning you, but I'm not. I just need to ask these questions to ensure that I can get an arrest and a prosecution in this case.

"You are free to end this interview at any point or refuse to answer any questions you don't feel comfortable answering. Do you feel alright to continue?"

Klaus gave a smile and nod before realizing that he should probably say his answer out loud. "Sure do, ma'am. And, please, call me Klaus."

That seemed to make Detective Patch smile a bit. She read off a few more details for the record to cover the basics of the time, date, and location of Klaus' attack before looking to the man again. After a moment of hesitation, she added to the record about Klaus having been marked as deceased but has been revived, as well as the time and date of his revival.

After the note was made, she finally said, "Klaus, start from the beginning. Tell me what you remember from that day."

And so, taking an apprehensive breath in, Klaus started talking. It felt almost like remembering a bad dream. How he had felt cabin feverish and just needed to get out of the house for the night. He stressed to the detective and for the record that, despite his past record, he was clean. Recovered for months now. Him leaving the house had nothing to do with drugs or anything like that. Honestly, he just needed fresh air that night.

Which, eventually, led him to bumping into an old friend.

"If I can- uh,  _ could _ have even called him that. I know I'd seen him around. We hung out in the same circles a while back. Maybe in the same room a handful of times, but we never really spoke to each other, you know?" As Klaus spoke, his hands flailed about in the air, moving in time with what he said.

"He was being nice. So nice, and I couldn't be an asshole and just walk away. Not like he was threatening me, but he did stand weirdly close. I thought he was maybe tripping, and I tried stepping back to make room. I guess…" Klaus drifted off a bit, looking up towards the ceiling in thought as if something was starting to make sense to him now. "That's probably why he did that. I stepped back a few times and each time he got closer. I thought maybe he was just high and didn't realize how close he was, but he was pushing me back towards the alley, huh?"

The detective gave a small nod, giving Klaus a sympathetic look. "It would seem so. Is that when he attacked you?" She questioned, trying to kick Klaus back into talking.

The man seemed to think that question over for a moment, clearly starting to find it harder to remember. "I… Think? I'm going to be honest, everything starts getting fuzzy around here. I remember… Trying to tell him I had to go. That I needed to get home. I think I tried getting around him? But maybe I turned around to go the other way. I just remember feeling something hit me really hard in the back of the head.

"I've gotten hit pretty hard in my life before. Have you ever seen Luther? Sometimes we would train together as kids, and he can hit pretty hard. So, when he hit me, I think I surprised him when I didn't go down. Not saying it was fun! But I kept my balance, I know that for sure. I remembered feeling the brick wall when I stumbled into it. After that, he attacked me."

For a moment, Klaus paused, his hands falling into his lap to tug at his fingers anxiously. Despite it having been a few days, the attack felt like it had just happened to Klaus. In a way, it had. It was the last thing he remembered before waking up in a morgue.

"I think he tried hitting me again, but I don't remember. I tried to run. He grabbed me. Tried to strangle me and I scratched at his face- no, wait… No, he just grabbed me, I think. Maybe he tried strangling me? I-I don't remember. I know he knocked me to the ground. I tried yelling but he was on me again and- yeah, okay- he got on top of me to try and strangle me then. That's when I scratched at him. I think I hurt him because he got  _ really _ pissed after that." Klaus' face scrunched up uncomfortably at these last memories, eyes shifting back and forth along the table as if he could see the scene playing out right in front of him.

In the few moments he paused, the woman in front of him gently reassured that he could take him time. To not rush.

So, Klaus took that. He went over the memories he could, organizing them in his head and tried to squash down the terrifying tension that rose in his chest. "He grabbed my hair to hit my head against the concrete. It hurt a lot and I felt like I went blind. Then he did it again and I think I passed out. I'm sorry, I have no idea how long I was out or if he hit me again. I woke up a few more times, but it hurt so much… I felt him move me further into the alley. And I think I tried kicking him at one point. Or maybe I just kicked something near me. I didn't even knock it over."

Klaus gave a bitter laugh at that, ignoring the way his heart raced in his chest. He felt like he was on the verge of an anxiety attack. His head throbbed at the memory of being hit against cement, and phantom hands grabbed bruisingly along his body. Klaus felt so tired suddenly.

"I- That's about all I remember. I don't know how long he was with me, or how many times I woke up or for how long. I just know one minute he was with me, then he was gone, I woke up a few more times and the sky was starting to look different and then… Then I woke up in the morgue."

The end of his statement was barely above a gravely whisper as Klaus looked down to his lap. By now, his hands were strained together, rubbing at the skin roughly and tugging at his fingers with nervous energy. The woman across from him let the silence fall between them, most likely giving Klaus a moment to breathe and collect himself.

When she spoke, she thanked Klaus for his statement and then asked, "Do you know the name of your attacker? Any physical description of him?" At that question, she pulled out the pen that was stuck in the rungs of her notebook, setting the tip against the paper.

Klaus glanced up, meeting the detective's eyes with a nod. "Yeah… Jeff. I'm not sure if it was Jeff, with a J or that weird Geoff with a G. I only got introduced once and I wasn't exactly asking for spelling." Leaning back in his seat, Klaus lifted his hands from his lap as he gestured to himself in time with his description of Jeff.

From Klaus' memory, he looked like a normal guy. Maybe a little 'fallen on hard times' type, but otherwise he could pass as a normal citizen. White and in his 40s or early 50s. If he hadn't been hit by surprise, Klaus could have gotten away from him with a little fighting. The guy was strong but not strong enough against a man with superhero training. Still, Klaus guessed he was technically strong enough considering he  _ did _ kill Klaus...

That was beside the point. Klaus gave as much details as he could about Jeff; his physical appearance, who Klaus remembered the man hanging around, things like that. In the end, Patch only asked a few more questions, jotting notes in her book and circling past notes in his file. She even reasked a few questions to cross check information before she was shutting the folder and book, looking at Klaus with a kind smile. He felt exhausted by now but still gave his own smile back, glad he could help. In a way, he was helping solve his own murder. Not even the ghosts that surrounded him could do that.

As the detective thanked him for his help, she collected the notes in front of her and stood to lead Klaus towards the door. Opening it revealed a waiting Diego who stood up straighter as the two stepped back out into the hallway. Patch gave the vigilante a nod as she thanked them both for their time and led them towards the doors to leave. It was weird- the looks Klaus got from the night shift cops as he passed- but he couldn't blame them. Unlike Klaus himself, they didn't often get to see walking dead people.

"I'm going to stay in touch, Klaus. We want to get this guy as quickly as we can. Please, stay safe," the woman said softly as she held the door for the two men to step outside.

Klaus just gave a short laugh and nod. "No promises, but I can try."

That at least received a smile from Detective Patch before she was saying her last goodbyes and letting the two go. Klaus was just glad to be outside and away from that morgue, taking a deep breath of fresh air before glancing at Diego beside him.

Number 4 didn't miss the way his brother's eyes just so happened to be quickly looking away from him at the same time, although Klaus didn't mention it. Neither sibling spoke as they turned towards the parking lot, Diego leading Klaus towards the car with a hand to his back. It felt a little unneeded for the other to lead him, but Klaus wasn't going to complain. At least, not right now.

Once settled in the car, that's when Diego decided to break the silence, Klaus fiddling with the buckle to click it into place.

"Are you… Okay?" It was a simple question. One that had Klaus looking up at his sibling just as he buckled the seat belt into place.

Leaning back in his seat, Klaus gave a small sigh as he looked out the windshield. It was a bit disorienting dying in one spot and waking up in a completely different place. Klaus' head hurt with a sharp ache, he felt deeply tired, still a bit cold, and his skin felt like it was covered in grime. He doubted the morgue really took the time to clean his corpse other than from blood and visible dirt.

Still, Klaus found himself saying to Diego, "Had a pretty good nap. Feeling refreshed."

That… Didn't seem to please Diego. Although, not many of Klaus' jokes ever seemed to please the brooding discount-Batman. Still, Number 2 started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, heading distinctly back towards the Academy. Klaus didn't mind, his thoughts already settled on a nice hot bath and his bed.

It was a few minutes of silent driving before Diego asked the next question, "Did you know you could do that? Come back to life."

From one interrogation to the next, Klaus didn't think he was focused enough for more questioning. But Diego- and his family as a whole- deserved an answer. Klaus just wished he would wait a little. Let him feel at least half normal again before the questioning started.

"Yeah. No? Sort of." Diego glanced at him so Klaus started again. "This only happened once before. Not like  _ this _ obviously. Just a… I fell, last time."

"You fell," Diego repeated incredulously. If he was looking to get Klaus to clarify what exactly 'falling' entailed, the human ouija board didn't explain further, just shrugging his shoulders in response. Diego frowned deeper, focusing back on the road. "Why were you even out that night, Klaus? It was dangerous."

"No shit," Klaus immediately bit back, crossing his arms over his chest. "I was tired of being in the house. I just wanted some fresh air."

"You could have just stayed on the Academy grounds. We have the old greenhouse, the courtyard, you could have-"

"I went for a walk, though."

"And why did you even let that guy near you? It was the middle of the night. You don't know what he wanted to do-"

"Yeah, I do-"

"That's not what I meant. You know what I meant. You let him get close to you in the middle of the night-"

"So it's my fault?" Klaus let out a bitter laugh, an unbelieving look on his face as he practically glared at Diego. His whole body was tense in the passenger seat, and Diego immediately regretted making the other feel like he was blaming him.

It was never the victim's fault. Diego knew that. Yet his slowly boiling anger over this situation- at Klaus's attacker, at this horrible stuff even happening in the first place- was leaking over and making Klaus feel cornered. Immediately, Diego forced his own tensed shoulders to relax and for him to take a breath, trying his best to show that he wasn't trying to attack.

"No. Klaus, it's not your fault. Look, I- I'm sorry." The apology didn't seem to calm Klaus, but the other did at least break his glare away from Diego to look out the window instead. Number 2 didn't miss the slight jitter to his brother's legs, nervous energy built up and ready for whatever fight had been starting between them.

"We can- the others are waiting for us at the Academy. I thought it was best if they saw you since they would never believe me over the phone."

At this news, Klaus just slumped in his seat, expression falling into a neutral, somewhat tired look. This was clearly not the news the other wanted, even as Klaus responded quietly, "Okay, Dee."

The dead voiced response put Diego on edge. He just hoped seeing the family would help cheer Klaus up, or at least break him from this weird mood he was in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be up by the time you guys read this!


	8. VII. The Chariot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I need to tell you everything. What happened to Klaus, about his murder, what he was like in the morgue, everything. I think… He's going to need our help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klaus sees the family, everyone cries and hugs, and they all love happily ever after!

If Diego thought Klaus looked ready to run before at the morgue, this moment was like the complete opposite. As he pulled his car into it's usual spot beside the Academy, Klaus seemed like all he wanted to do was stay exactly where he was. They had both been awkwardly quiet during the car ride over and, at some points, Diego had even thought Klaus had fallen asleep. The only reason he knew his brother wasn't passed out was due to Number 4's quick glances into the back seat every few minutes. Whatever or whoever he was looking at made Klaus frown in confusion before turning back to look out of the window again.

Diego didn't question it until he was turning his car off and glanced into the back seat himself just to make sure nothing was back there that had caught his brother's attention. Seeing nothing, Number 2 looked to Klaus who pointedly stared out at the Academy's brick walls rather than meeting Diego's eyes.

"Who do you keep glancing at, Klaus?" the vigilante asked curiously. He kept his voice light, trying to show he didn't want this to be an interrogation. Just a curiosity.

Klaus slowly looked away from the window to glance once more into the back seat, scanning over the bench there slowly before finally meeting Diego's eyes. "No one."

That answer didn't sit right with Diego. Not the words themself so much, but more so the disappointed, saddened tone Klaus said it in. Did that mean Ben wasn't here with them? If not, then where was he? Number 2 feared what else Ben's lack of appearance could mean. What if Ben was gone forever? Left when his connection to Klaus was severed. But Klaus had died before, right? And Ben didn't disappear then.

All Diego could do was hope Ben was just somewhere in the house, waiting with the family and just as confused as the others.

"Okay… We better head inside. Are you ready?" As he unbuckled himself to get out, Diego heard Klaus sigh before he too started to unbuckle and get out of the car.

Almost immediately, Diego was around the other side of the car and beside Klaus once more, guiding the other with a hand on his back. In a way, Klaus felt like Diego was acting like a bodyguard, or some kind of mother bear. There was no reason to act like this seeing as they were right there outside of their own childhood home, but Klaus didn't have the energy to protest, just giving his brother a weird look.

As they entered the Academy, the two could hear their family talking back and forth in the living room. Whatever discussion they were having made them sound annoyed, glasses clinking as someone- most likely Five- got a drink from the bar and Allison gave a snarky reply to whatever the older had said.

Diego was just about to ask Klaus if he was ready to see them and, as if Klaus knew exactly what Diego was going to say, Number 4 gave his brother such a look that would have made even Luther and Five proud. The look only another sibling could give that read 'if you ask me that question one more time, I'm hitting you'. Diego just gave a laugh through his nose and a small smile, conceding to the silent scold.

With that, Diego took the lead to step into the living room doorway, his family falling quiet as soon as they saw him. Everyone, excluding Five, was sitting around the coffee table and looking at Diego with various degrees of annoyance or concern. Five, as Diego had guessed, was just heading back from the bar with two drinks in hand and gave Diego his signature unimpressed look, like this all was just a waste of his time.

Five moved to hand the second drink to Vanya and Luther was just about to undoubtedly argue with Diego about him running off again when the words caught in his throat and Vanya's glass slipped from her and Five's grasps.

All four siblings stared at the space beside Diego where Klaus had stepped into view, Number 4's eyes on the broken glass and spilled alcohol between his siblings.

"That's a bit of a waste," Klaus joked, his voice breaking the stunned silence around the family and instead causing them to erupt into chaos.

It felt like everyone shouted at once, loud enough to make Diego cringe and Klaus reach up to cover one of his ears. Vanya's hands shook as she moved to cover her mouth and the shocked cry that escaped. Tears wet her cheeks but she didn't sob like she had before. Instead, she just stared at her once dead brother, unable to look away. Five cursed as he quickly put his drink down and moved to comfort his sister, the drink rippling slightly when Vanya let out another small cry.

Allison was up on her feet and to Klaus so fast that Diego was surprised she hadn't tripped over her heels. She was hugging Klaus tightly, one hand cupping the back of his head and the other hand pressed into his back. The kind of hug Diego had seen from mothers when they were reunited with their children at crime scenes. Like she was afraid of letting go and losing him again.

The hug was broken though when Luther finally snapped out of his shock and tried to move to get closer, looking like he too needed to touch Klaus. Make sure he was real. Instead, though, they all watched as Klaus- the man who practically craved physical touch and attention 24/7- violent flinched away from Luther's hulking frame. Now  **that** seemed to push the room back into silence, concern washing over everyone.

Broken from her hug but still holding Klaus gently by his arms, Allison looked up at the taller with worry. Behind her, Luther had stopped moving and even took a startled step back and Vanya and Five had fallen silent to watch. It seemed to take Klaus a moment to settle himself again. He didn't even try addressing the flinch or his siblings' concern as he looked around the room. Not even to his family, but just to the room in general, Klaus looked as if he was searching for something before seeming to not find it and return to his siblings.

With a tired smile to Allison, the human ouija board reached up to grip her arms near her elbows, giving her a gentle squeeze in reassurance. "Hey, Allison." He finally looked around to each family member before asking almost teasingly, "What did I miss?"

"What is this? How is he-?" Vanya didn't even need to finish the question for them to understand what she was asking.

Everyone looked to Diego as if he was the one who had the answers, but it was Klaus who responded.

"Surprise!" He said with a laugh, hands raising to do jazz hands beside his head. "I'm kind of immortal!"

"No," Diego cut in quickly which just made Klaus laugh louder. "No, you don't know that. You're just assuming."

"I'm two for two, Dee. Until it sticks, I say I'm pretty immortal," Klaus joked, his smile light. It was nice seeing Number 4 joking around a little, especially after their little spat in the car. Still, joking about his death didn't exactly seem like the most appropriate thing to do, especially in front of their still stunned siblings.

It was Five who spoke next, standing with a wave of his hands and a confused look. "Wait wait wait. 'Two for two'? Klaus, did you know you would come back? Diego, did  _ you- _ "

"No! You think if I knew that stuff I wouldn't tell you guys? I'm not like  _ you _ , Five. I actually tell my family things," Diego huffed back at the accusation.

"Grow up, Diego." Five spat back. "You like to play hero all the time, how did you not know Klaus was killed before? You can protect the city like a dumpster valued Batman but you can't protect your own family?"

That was extremely unfair and even low for Five to say, Diego physically recoiling from his words. Allison was stepping between the two brothers by now with her arms raised, almost getting pushed over when Diego suddenly surged forward towards Five.

This was supposed to be a good moment! Klaus was alive and their family was supposed to cry and hug and feel fucking better! Not Five pointing fingers and even blaming Diego for something out of his control. Maybe Diego expected it from Luther, but not Five.

"You little asshole. You weren't even here for-"

"Klaus, where are you going?"

Five and Diego's fight stopped immediately as Luther's voice cut past them. Number 2 had to swivel his head around to look towards the stairs when he realized Klaus was no longer standing near him anymore. Instead, their brother was just a few steps up the grand staircase, turning back to look towards Luther with a raised brow.

Standing all alone at the bottom of the stairs, Klaus looked lost. Despite the fight that just happened, he didn't seem upset or even a little fed up at his siblings. Actually, he looked rather confused, like he hadn't even registered what was going on until Luther called out to him.

Klaus seemed to shake his head a bit to recenter himself before responding, "I need a bath. I'm tired and I want-" His words trailed off as he looked back up the stairs, eyes forlorn as he let out a sigh.

"Klaus, you need to come sit down. I think we all have questions and we need to figure this out," Luther tried, only for Allison to scold her brother.

"Can't that wait?" she asked, pushing Diego a step back from her as she looked between her siblings. She looked like a mother about to defend her child, hands falling to her hips. "Look how exhausted he looks, and you just want to force him to sit and answer questions? He clearly can't even focus."

She pointed their attention back to Klaus with a wave of her hand, everyone watching as their brother's attention once again drifted off back up the stairs. He stayed on the bottom steps, but Diego had no doubts that Klaus would start moving again as soon as his attention wavered enough.

As much as Number 2 really wanted Klaus to stay with them and talk to them- reassure everyone that he was alive- he also had to be realistic. "He… He's been like this since Patch called me to the morgue. Klaus said his head hurt and was fuzzy."

Five's lips seemed to press together into a thin line at this new information, Luther's mouth falling open slightly as he gave a small nod in understanding. It was Vanya who actually got up, wiping any last traces of tears from her face as she quickly moved to join Klaus on the stairs. If anyone knew how it felt to have a 'fuzzy' head, it would be her and her years of prescription medicines. She understood how hard it would be for him to focus right now, and as she took his hand to get his attention once more, she smiled up at him as he looked back with a smile of his own.

Vanya only spared her family a glance before she was leading her brother up the stairs, no one arguing as they watched Klaus happily follow along after her. At the very least, they could let him rest. Diego could calm his family down first and approach Klaus later when he was more focused. Maybe then they would have more organized questions to ask rather than just yelling at each other…

So, taking some control over the mess his family was, Diego told his family to sit down. "I need to tell you everything. What happened to Klaus, about his murder, what he was like in the morgue, everything. I think… He's going to need our help."

Eudora was always the better one of him and her at handling victims after a crime was committed. She was more level headed and sympathetic, knowing exactly what victims needed to feel better. Diego wasn't Eudora in that way. He didn't know how to help like she could. But, for Klaus, Diego was ready to do what he needed to help. If that meant working around confusion and drifting attention, guiding his brother back into a normal life with the rest of their family, Diego was going to put in the effort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you noticed Klaus isn't at his 100%, you would be correct!
> 
> I tried to base Klaus' lack of attention and fuzziness on my own experience of almost dying. I was just tired all the time, had bad headaches, couldn't focus to save my life (pun not intended), and felt so nauseous.  
> I imagine when just coming back to life, Klaus would probably feel the same, especially after being dead for days.


End file.
